Bangladesh police clash with garment workers

Up to 25,000 garment workers clashed with police in Bangladesh on Thursday, officials said, as protests rejecting a government-offered pay rise forced the closure of at least 100 factories outside Dhaka.

A government-appointed panel raised wages on Tuesday by 56.25 percent for the South Asian nation's four million garment factory workers, who are seeking a near-tripling of their monthly wage.

The violence broke out in the industrial towns of outside the capital after more than 10,000 workers staged protests in factories and along highways to reject the panel's offer.