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Payment of salary arrears, Eid bonus

RMG workers block Kakrail road in city

FE REPORT | May 21, 2025 00:00:00


Workers of several garment factories stage a demonstration near Kakrail Mosque in Dhaka on Tuesday, demanding payment of salary arrears and Eid bonus. Earlier, police intercepted them as they attempted to march towards the State Guest House Jamuna. — FE photo

Garment workers blocked the road in front of Kakrail Mosque on Tuesday afternoon, demanding payment of salary arrears and Eid bonus.

Earlier, they demonstrated in front of the labour office in Bijoynagar and started marching towards Jamuna, the residence of the chief adviser. Police, however, barred them from going there by setting up barbed wire barricades across the road near the mosque.

Golam Faruk, officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station, said that the workers had been demonstrating to press home their demand.

Witnesses said that several hundred workers of eight garment factories under TNZ group had been staging the protest in front of the labour office called "Shrom Bhaban" or the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments. They did not allow any officials to enter the building.

At 2:30 pm, the workers began marching towards Jamuna from Shrom Bhaban. As they approached the Kakrail Mosque, police intercepted them. Later, they sat on the road and started chanting slogans.

The TNZ workers also staged demonstrations in front of the labour office before the holy Eid-ul-fitr to press home their same demand.

Talking to the FE during the demo, a garment worker said that they had been demonstrating for about nine days in front of Shrom Bhaban for their salaries and other benefits. "We've come here to demand our fair wages. We are poor people-what's our fault? Please ensure we receive our salaries," he said.

Md Kalam, 25, who is owed three months' salaries, said the garment authorities had promised to pay by May 07 but failed to keep their pledges. "No one is taking any steps to address our problems. That's the reason why we have been forced to march towards Jamuna. We won't leave this place until our demands are met," he said.

The garment workers stayed there until filing of this report at 9:00 pm on Tuesday. In the meantime, members of the law enforcement agencies stepped up security measures by deploying additional security personnel there.

Mohammad Hatem, president of BKMEA, said that they held a meeting with an adviser at the Ministry of Shipping on Tuesday evening and decided to sell a washing plant of the TNZ Group and some other property to pay the workers. "It might take a couple of days to sell them and receive the payment," he added.

A total of Tk 200 million has so far been paid while additional Tk 450 million would be required to settle the rest of the payment.

Munni_fe@yahoo.com


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