Rice mill labourers pass idle time due to foggy weather

NILPHAMARI, Jan 16: Day labourers of the district rice mills remained workless for nearly a fortnight due to cold and foggy weather.

They work on drying and processing parboiled paddy on no work no pay basis.

Sources said there are more than 500 husking mills in the district and almost all of those could not boil and dry paddy for husking as the weather remained foggy. Sources said nearly 1,000 rice mill workers, 80 per cent of whom are women remained workless.

While contacted Abdul Wahed, President of Nilphamari District Husking Mills Owners Association said each husking mill worker get Tk 250 to 300 per day as remuneration which we use to pay everyday.

While contacted Anowara Begum one chatal worker of Nilphamari municipality area is a widow and who has two minor children said she maintain her family expenses by working in a chatal and she works there round the year. She said she has a very hard life as she eke out two square meals a day by working in the chatal and in case of no work she has to be in a fix. She urged the government to extend the hand of financial support to them during the inclement weather.

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