DHAKA, May 20: At least one worker was killed and dozens were injured on Sunday as police fired rubber bullets and teargas at thousands of textile workers near Dhaka, police said.

The clashes broke out at Gazipur town, about 40 kilometres north of Dhaka, when at least 4000 workers from Fortuna Garments barricaded a main road, demanding a wage hike and backpay, local police chief Alamgir Alam said.

“Police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the workers after they became violent and attacked our officers,” Alam said.

At least one worker was killed during the clashes, he said, adding police brought the situation under control after nearly three hours.

Police officer Naba Gopal said that 12 police officers were injured, as were a number of the workers.

Other reports said at least 50 were injured in the clashes.

Gazipur is home to some of Bangladesh's top garment factories. Police said they deployed hundreds of officers and the elite Rapid Action Battalion to prevent trouble spreading to them.

Garments are Bangladesh's biggest export items, with sales abroad fetching a record $7.9 billion in the last fiscal year.

But the industry has been hit by a series of protests since last May over low wages and poor working conditions. Some 16 factories were torched and many more trashed.—AFP