Over 100 garment workers fall ill after drinking water in Gazipur factory

More than 100 workers at a garment factory in Gazipur’s Kaliakair upazila fell ill on Thursday after drinking water supplied by the factory, prompting hospitalisation and an official inquiry.

The incident occurred at Dressman Limited in the Chandra area in the morning.

According to workers and factory officials, employees began experiencing symptoms including vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, weakness and breathing difficulties shortly after drinking water provided at the workplace.

As the number of affected workers rose rapidly, panic spread across the factory. The workers were later taken to Kaliakair Upazila Health Complex as well as several private hospitals and clinics for treatment.

Some workers alleged that the water had an unpleasant smell and that they felt unwell soon after consuming it. Several workers claimed that more than 200 employees suffered dizziness, with some collapsing on the factory floor.

Atiqul Islam, Assistant General Manager (Administration) of Dressman Limited, said medical treatment was arranged immediately.

He suggested that workers might have drunk water from a tube well affected by flooding, although no problem had been detected in the factory’s water supply system.

Kaliakair Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Sadia Tasnim Munmun said the hospital had been receiving a large number of patients since mid-morning and was struggling to accommodate them.