3 die at Gazipur Walton factory; workers call off road blockade after 4hrs
Total three Walton high-tech factory workers died after taking iftar at Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur district on Sunday (16 April) evening.
The deceased are Sheikh Farid Hossain, 30; Abdul Barek, 48; and Ashraf Ali, 30. Agitated factory workers blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar highway by burning tires after the incident for four hours causing a huge traffic jam in the area.
However, the blockade was called off at around 1am on Monday (17 April), Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tajwar Akram Sakapi Ibn Sajjad told The Business Standard.
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He said, "Three workers of Walton Hi-tech factory located in Chandra area of Kaliakair upazila fell ill after having iftar and were taken to the near hospital quickly where the doctors declared the three dead.
"But the doctors could not identify the exact cause of their death. The situation in the area is now under control. We are communicating with the factory authorities."
A senior official of Walton, seeking anonymity, said, "We have thousands of workers who break their fasts in the factory every day. Monday was no exception. Some four to five workers probably drank a drink like milk from the outside and got sick soon after.
"Later they were rushed to the Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital and Nursing College where three of them died. One is still undergoing treatment at the hospital."
"An official press release will be issued addressing the development soon," the official added.
