1 killed, 11 injured in workers-police clash in Uttara EPZ, Bangladesh, CPB condemns

POBNEWS24 Dhaka Sept 2, 2025 : One person was killed and at least 11 others were injured in a clash between workers and law enforcement agencies over factory closures and layoffs at the Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Nilphamari district of North Bengal, Bangladesh.
The deceased in the incident on Tuesday was Md. Habib (21), son of Dulal Islam of Chhota Sangolsi village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila. He was an employee of Eku International in Uttara EPZ.
Nilphamari Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) MR Sayeed confirmed this information.
Eyewitnesses said that the deceased Habib was leaving the factory in the morning after finishing his night shift. He was killed when law enforcement agencies opened fire while he was walking through a crowd of angry workers on his way home.
Police and protesting workers allege that Hong Kong-based wig factory Evergreen (BD) Limited has laid off about 50 workers. Tensions have been rising since then. The situation deteriorated further when the factory authorities announced the indefinite closure of the factory without paying the workers’ dues and hung a notice at the main gate.
At around 8 am, the workers gathered in front of the factory and, unable to enter, took up positions on the Nilphamari-Saidpur road. This disrupted traffic.
Police and army members went to the spot and tried to disperse the workers. At one stage, clashes broke out between the workers and the law enforcement agencies and the workers were injured.
The workers allege that the Uttara EPZ authorities do nothing for them, but rather protect the interests of the factory owners.
They further allege that the Evergreen factory authorities have suddenly laid off the workers and that many more workers are on the layoff list. Many of them have been in the job for 8-10 years, but they are not being given regular benefits.
Dr. Md. Farhan Tanvirul Islam, a doctor on duty at the emergency department of Nilphamari General Hospital, said that Habib was taken to the hospital dead around 9 am today.
He said that initial observation showed a wound on the deceased’s chest and the actual cause of death will be known after the autopsy.
The hospital authorities said that at least 6 injured workers are receiving treatment at Nilphamari General Hospital.
Meanwhile, in protest of this incident, Left Democratic Alliance Coordinator, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, CPB President Mohammad Shah Alam, Socialist Party of Bangladesh-BASD General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh General Secretary Iqbal Kabir Zahid, Central Coordinator of BASD (Marxist) Masud Rana, Democratic Revolutionary Party General Secretary Mosherefa Mishu, and Socialist Party of Bangladesh Executive President Abdul Ali issued a joint statement today, Tuesday, September 2, 2025, strongly condemning, indignant and protesting the killing of workers by firing at a protest by workers protesting at Uttara EPZ in Nilphamari.
In a statement, the leaders said, “Workers of Evergreen Limited of Uttara EPZ in Nilphamari have been protesting and holding a strike for the past four days, demanding 20 points including reinstatement of laid-off workers, stopping layoffs, reducing production targets, and overtime pay. Workers from other factories in the EPZ also joined them. When the owners suddenly announced the closure of the factory last night without paying wages, the workers staged a protest today. During that protest, the police and army opened fire, killing a worker named Habib and many other workers were injured. The leaders demanded immediate identification, trial, and punishment of those involved in the killing of the workers, and compensation equivalent to the deceased worker’s lifetime income to be provided to the family. The leaders also strongly demanded that the workers’ just demands be accepted and the state’s repression of the democratic movement be stopped.