Dhaka, July 10 -- Two major canteens and nearby stalls inside the Secretariat have remained closed for over 10 days following a violent clash between rival factions of the employees' union, leaving thousands of government workers without access to food or tea.

The trouble began on Jun 25, when members of the Secretariat Officers-Employees Joint Council's Nurul Islam and Badiul Kabir-led factions clashed over control of canteen operations, bdnews24.com reports.

Several union leaders were injured and hospitalised after the brawl.

Since then, canteens in the tin-shed area on the northern side have remained shut. No one has yet stepped in to restore operations or clarify how these establishments were allocated in the first place.

Staff so...