Hundreds of Chinese and Bangladeshi labourers in deadly clashes at Beijing-backed power plant near Dhaka
- Locals accuse the Chinese of trying to cover up the death of a Bangladeshi worker at the construction site about 200km south of the capital
- Police said more than 6,000 people – including some 2,000 from China – work at the power plant site
Hundreds of Chinese and Bangladeshi labourers clashed at the site of a power plant being built south of Dhaka, police said on Wednesday, leaving a Chinese worker dead and more than a dozen others injured.
Police said the violence was triggered by the death of a Bangladeshi worker at the site of the China-funded 1,320-megawatt plant, prompting locals to accuse the Chinese of trying to cover up the incident.
At one point, hundreds of Bangladeshi and Chinese workers were fighting at the site – about 200km south of the capital – and more than a dozen were injured, including six Chinese who were taken to hospital.
“One of the Chinese workers later died in the hospital. He had injuries to his head,” local police chief Monirul Islam said, adding it took more than 1,000 police to restore calm.
The presence of large numbers of Chinese workers in Bangladesh, as in other countries where Beijing is investing heavily, has caused some tensions with locals, and officials said similar clashes occurred a year ago.
Police said more than 6,000 people – including some 2,000 from China – work at the power plant site.