The agitating workers vandalised computers, knitting machines, furniture in three factories and assaulted at least 20 officials, including a foreigner, at the Gazipur area and Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ).

Workers from a number of factories inside the DEPZ held fresh demonstrations against the management and at one stage they attacked Lanny Fashion Industry, destroying garment accessories and furniture.

Earlier in the morning, workers of two factories went to meet the management with demands for salary-hike but they were treated harshly, claimed some workers.

Angry at the authorities' misbehaviour, the workers assaulted officials and then went on a rampage.

Police, BDR and Rab members were soon called in to the DEPZ to control the situation.

Workers also demonstrated in front of the Seasons Garments, which was kept closed without addressing the salary-hike issue as promised by the management, sources said.

On Wednesday, about 50 people got injured after workers of four garment units at the DEPZ started work stoppage to realise 11-point demand.

But an executive of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Association meanwhile played down the arrears issue yesterday, claiming that owners are paying wages to workers duly.

Meanwhile, the unrest also spread across the Gazipur area, where the workers attacked two factories to ransack 22 knitting machines and 15 computers.

With the violence threatening to go out of control in some other factories, authorities of about 20 units quickly closed their units.

Workers at the Zirani Bazar and Konabari areas enforced work stoppage, demanding enhancement in bonus and wages.

A few hundred workers pelted brickbats at the Anupam Knitting Factory during their agitation, and police from Gazipur rushed there. Though factory authorities agreed to accept most of the demands during a meeting, workers refrained from resuming work.

Workers of the Titas Garments at Konabari also enforced work-abstention programme to realise their 8-point demand, which included raise in attendance fee, production bonus, and closure of the factory after noon on Fridays.

Workers sat with the factory management but failed to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, a conflict between two workers ended in ransacking of A & A Fashion and Anupam Knitting in Gazipur, according to our correspondent in the district.

Around 60-70 supporters of two workers-- Saiful Islam and Enamul Haque-- clashed with each other at about 9:00am yesterday over an old quarrel. During that time, they damaged knitting machines of A & A Fashion and windows of the Anupam Knitting.

Police rushed to the spot at 11:00am and brought the situation under control.