Bangladesh police break up workers protests: one dead

Police said a male worker was killed and some 100 were injured in Chittagong, some 300 km (190 miles) to the southeast of the capital Dhaka, while around 50 others were injured during the violence in Dhaka.

"We can so far confirm death of one male worker," police officer Reza Al Masud told reporters in Chittagong.

Police earlier said around 4,000 workers attacked police and vandalized at least 20 vehicles, including setting fire to one, in the port city.

Another 50 people were injured as garments workers clashed with police and smashed vehicles at Kuril in Dhaka. It took police several hours to bring the situation under control.

The violence forced some 300 industrial units, mostly garment factories, to close down in the Chittagong Export Procession Zone. Factory officials and police said they would be reopened as soon as possible.

The government raised minimum monthly salaries for garment workers couple of months ago, but the protesters said they were not being paid accordingly.

The new minimum wage was raised to 3,000 taka ($43), from 1,662 taka ($24) earlier, payable from December 1.

Garments account for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh's annual exports worth of more than $16 billion, and have been a mainstay of the economy.

(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed; Editing by Alex Richardson)