Police, in last two days, arrested 16 persons in connection with two cases filed over the attack on Chinese nationals working in Payra Power Plant project in Patuakhali. The two cases -- one for murder and another for vandalism -- were filed with Patuakhali’s Kalapara Police Station on Thursday, accusing around 500 to 600 unidentified people.
“Wang Le Jhing, security director of Payra power plant, filed the cases,” said Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kalapara police station. A three-member probe body, led by Additional District Magistrate Nurul Hafiz, has been asked to submit report within seven working days. Eight platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh and 850 members of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Range Reserve Force have been deployed in the area to avoid further untoward situation.
All local and Chinese employees and workers started returning to work as a peaceful working environment is now prevailing in the area, said a power division official.
Mentionable, a Chinese national was killed and six others were injured in sporadic clashes at China-Bangladesh 1320MW thermal power plant project site at Payra in Patuakhali early Wednesday. The clash took place following the death of a Bangladeshi worker inside the project area on Tuesday. The situation became normal after State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid visited the project area and held a series of meetings with project officials, district administration and representatives of both Bangladeshi and Chinese workers.
“The workers have returned to their work,” the minister said on Friday. Nasrul Hamid told media that it was a ‘misunderstanding’ between Bangladeshi and Chinese workers following the death of a Bangladeshi worker and the ‘situation is now normal’. Power Division sources said initial investigations found that the Bangladeshi worker, Sabindra Das, 32, died due to his own negligence. He was working inside the project as a plumber with all safety dresses and equipment during work hours.
However, last time, he did not fasten the safety belts properly, as a result which he suddenly fell down from an under-construction installation of about 70 feet height during his work and died instantly. “However, rumour spread that Sabindra was killed by Chinese men. And as the shocked Bangladeshi workers saw a Chinese supervisor, they snatched his identity card and tore it. Following the incident, Bangladeshi and Chinese workers locked in a clash, resulting in injury of 10 Bangladeshi and 6 Chinese workers,” according to power division official.
The workers damaged property, including office, canteen and training centre inside the project site. Over 2,700 Chinese workers and engineers are currently working at the project while about 40 private companies outsourced 4,500 Bangladeshi workers and 3,000 other workers from the neighbourhood. The power plant’s first unit scheduled to start power generation in December 2019 and the second unit in June 2020.