Nearly 400 Bangladesh garment workers sick after drinking factory supplied water

Some 400 garment workers fell sick at their factory in Ashulia on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka Sunday morning after drinking water there, police said.

Md Badrul Alam, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, told Xinhua over phone that "Some 400 workers were treated at various hospitals after the incident."

He said "The workers of The Rose Dresses Limited, owned by Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Atiqul Islam, were sickened at their factory after drinking water."

A spokesman of The Rose Dresses Limited was not available for comment immediately.

Health officials reportedly said most of the workers suffered from vomiting tendency while some of them complained of upset stomach.

Alam said the causes of contamination of water at the factory where there is about 6,000 workers, was not known immediately.

He said steps have already been taken to investigate the cause.

Alam said almost all the sickened workers are out of danger and many have already left hospitals.

"We have collected water samples and sent the same for laboratory test to know the causes of the contamination," he said.

After a similar incident early this month, BGMEA termed it " sabotage by vested quarters".

Nearly 300 workers of a garment factory in Gazipur on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka were hospitalized as they fell sick after drinking contaminated water on June 5 morning.

Talking to Xinhua, a BGMEA leader who preferred to be unnamed had then said some groups with high vested interest are hatching conspiracy against Bangladesh garment industry which now scrambles to ride out April's worst-ever tragedy.

A total of 1,130 people, mostly garment workers, were confirmed dead as an eight-story building-Rana Plaza-housing five garment factories crumbled into a cement grave on April 24 in Savar on the outskirts of capital Dhaka.