Five killed in police firing at a Chinese joint venture power plant in Chattogram
Five people were killed and more than 15 injured in police firing during a clash with workers at the under construction Banshkhali power plant in Chattogram district of Bangladesh on Saturday. The workers of the Banshkhali coal-fired power plant were agitating for payment of overdue salary, half day work on Fridays, time for Iftar and hike in salary.
The injured have been taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. A few of the workers are in critical condition with bullet wounds.
The Contractor for the project is a Chinese company.
Tension has been prevailing since Friday over non-payment of workers' dues, newsagency UNB quoted the local police officials. The agitated workers allegedly indulged in arson and vandalism inside the plant when the management called the police. Altercation took place between the police and the workers which escalated into a clash in which 5 workers were killed. Three policemen were also injured, said the police officials.
The 1024 MW under construction Banshkhali power plant is a joint venture company between the Bangladeshi S. Alam group and the Chinese SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corporation and HTG Development Group having a 30 percent stake. The Chinese company is also the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), contractor of the project.
Officials of the S. Alam group told the media that 3000 workers are working under the Chinese contractors and the S. Alam group is not involved with clashes.
In 2016, four people were killed in a clash with police in the same power plant.
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