DHAKA -- Hundreds of Bangladeshi textile workers armed with sticks and stones attacked buildings near the capital on Friday and clashed with police, incensed by a rumor that a colleague had died inside a factory. About 100 people were injured in the clashes with police, prompting authorities to close down nearly 100 textile units indefinitely in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone on the outskirts of Dhaka. Police fired teargas and used batons to drive away the stone- throwing workers, witnesses said. Police said the violence had stopped but security remained tight to prevent a recurrence of the unrest, which was triggered by a rumor that a factory worker had died.
