300 Workers Sickened by Drinking Factory Water in Gazipur

Over three hundred workers at a ready-made garment factory in Kaliakair Upazila, Gazipur, fell ill after drinking contaminated water. Following the incident, the factory management declared a one-day holiday.

Locals reported that the incident occurred on Monday evening at the Moazz Uddin Textiles factory.

They stated that at least 50 of the sick workers were admitted to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) in Mohakhali. The remaining workers were admitted to local hospitals.

Local doctors confirmed that most workers are suffering from diarrhea. Dr. Nahid Islam, an emergency room physician at Shafipur Tanha Hospital, said that all the workers treated at their facility suffered from food poisoning. “Almost everyone has diarrhea,” he noted. “We transferred several who deteriorated to icddr,b in Mohakhali.”

Workers Describe the Symptoms
Workers Nasim Iqbal and Shimu Akhter reported that many employees began experiencing headaches and diarrhea on Monday evening. Despite this, management did not immediately shut down the factory. “More people fell sick after we entered the factory on Tuesday morning,” they stated.

Rahima Akhter, a worker undergoing treatment at Tanha Hospital, stated, “The stomach pain started right after I drank the factory water. Then I was hit with diarrhea.”

Mominul Islam, Deputy Manager of Moazz Uddin Textiles, confirmed the situation. “Our workers suddenly fell ill,” he said. “They have been admitted to the hospital.” He added that the factory management is funding the treatment for all the affected workers.