JS body asks for restoring stability in RMG sector

A parliamentary panel Tuesday recommended taking necessary steps to establish stability in the readymade garment sector while another body asked for bolstering frontier patrol with modern watercraft to halt menacing drug smuggling largely done through waterways.        
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour Ministry also suggested payoff of all legal benefits to workers in case of closure of any factory, taking a cue from the Tuba turmoil.
In this context, the lawmakers called for removing all kinds of prevailing discontent among the workers of the five factories of Tuba Group and paying them Eid bonus.
The committee suggested the ministry to scrutinize necessary issues before approval for giving registration to any trade union.  
Allowing trade union in the apparel factories is one of the compliance conditions tagged to the matter of restoration of the GSP facility on the US market. It's also a strong plea from the European Union.       
The recommendations came from the 3rd meeting of the committee of the 10th parliament at the parliament building. Committee chairman Munnujan Sufian presided. Other members who were present at the meeting included Israfil Alam, Anwarul Abedin Khan, Chhobi Biswas, Rezaul Haq Chowdhury and Roksana Yasmin.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry suggested using modern boats to intensify coastguard vigilance in the border areas with rivers to prevent drug smuggling.
For strengthening the anti-drug combat the lawmakers recommended increasing the number of vigilance boats and manpower in the frontier thanas.
"The possibility of drug smuggling increases in the border areas where there are rivers," the meeting was apprised.
Besides, it was informed that Yaba is the highest-smuggled drug through the border areas. Specially, the aphrodisiac drug coming through Cox's Bazar and Bandarban borders has spread allover the country.
The recommendations came from the 4th meeting of the committee of the 10th parliament. Committee chairman Tipu Munshi chaired the meeting.
The panel suggested scaling up the activities of mobile courts to prevent use of drugs and creating mass awareness through mass media to highlight the danger of drugs.
A three-member subcommittee headed by Omar Faruk Chowdhury was also formed to formulate the strategies of anti-drug combat. Other members of the subcommittee are Faridul Haq Khan and Abu Sayed Al Mahmud Swapan.
The subcommittee will submit a report on drug smuggling, prevention of its use, building mass awareness, various smuggling routes, involved persons and solution to the drug problem within next three months.
The committee members present at the meeting are Shamsul Haq Tuku, Omar Faruk Chowdhury, Faridul Haq Khan, Abu Sayed Al Mahmud and Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury.
Another parliamentary standing committee suggested rehabilitating and reducing the number of the landless people by bringing them under the 'guchchagram prokolpo' in the areas where there is adequate government khas land and landless people.
The committee on land ministry also asked the ministry to take step to make a report as to whether the acquired land is being used in actual project for which funds have been allocated and whether there is any unused land. The report has to be submitted at the next meeting.
The recommendations were made at the 3rd meeting of the committee at the parliament building, with its chairman Rezaul Karim Hira in the chair.
Other committee members present at the meeting are Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif, Ishak Hossain Talukder, Ekabbar Hossain, Maqbul Hossain, Shamsul Alam and Jahanara Begum.