At least 20 apparel workers were injured on Sunday as the police baton-charged them while staging demonstration blocking the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Kaliakoir upazila in Gazipur.
The protest was triggered by sacking of 19 workers of RS Knit Composite and Dressme, two establishments owned by same people.
Gazipur Industrial Police inspector Abul Kalam Azad said workers of the two establishments began their demonstration about 9:00am in front of the factories in Pallibidyut area to move to the highway about an hour later.
They blocked the highway till the police intervened about 11:00am, demanding reinstatement of the sacked workers and firing of several management officials.
Both the police and the Industrial Police took part in the action against the agitating workers.
The injured were taken to nearby medical facilities.
Some workers of these factories, preferring anonymity, said the management on Thursday evening called the 19 workers to their office rooms, gave them their June wage and told them that they were no longer employed.
They were also threatened to have case filed against them and were forced to sign blank papers.
The agitation, however, flared up from Saturday as a rumour spread that 40 more workers would also be terminated soon.
The workers further complained that the terminated workers were not paid their arrears.
General manager of the establishments Ali Ashraf denied that they laid off the 19 workers.
‘We have just issued them show cause notices regarding violation of factory regulations,’ he said, ‘but they did not take the notices and decided to resign instead.’
Their arrears have been paid, the GM added.
The management closed the factories till Sunday. 
‘Production will be run as usual from Monday,’ he said.