Securing the RMG industries
Thursday, 20 March 2008
THERE is a semblance of peace in the garments factories. But there were disturbing troubles there last year. Even now, murmurings of discontent are heard in many garments industries. There are reasons to think that the troubles are externally instigated. Tendentious non governmental organisation (NGOs), vested interests in the buying countries and competitor countries were behind the troubles last year. Competitor countries would try to grab more export market shares at the cost of Bangladesh.
Troubles erupted last year in many of the garments industries with relatively good track records of labour-management relations. Reportedly, rumour mongers played a mischievous role in inciting violence on an unprecedented scale. Misinformation triggered the unrest to a degree with no parallel in contemporary industrial relations in Bangladesh.
The country's apex business associations expressed their opinion that hidden hands were at work to deal a powerful blow to the country's export-oriented garments industries. This was not a casual suggestion. It had substance in it.
But has the government carried out proper investigation into the whole episode? Has it completed the investigations responding to the suggestions? It seems not. And there lies the danger. There is every reason to fear that the conspirators, unless identified, could again trigger unrest and violence in the garments industries. I suggest that the investigations should be completed at the earliest to destroy their capacity to harm Bangladesh, its economic potentials and the well-being of the workers.
Md Amin Ali Tarafdar
Malibag,
Dhaka
Troubles erupted last year in many of the garments industries with relatively good track records of labour-management relations. Reportedly, rumour mongers played a mischievous role in inciting violence on an unprecedented scale. Misinformation triggered the unrest to a degree with no parallel in contemporary industrial relations in Bangladesh.
The country's apex business associations expressed their opinion that hidden hands were at work to deal a powerful blow to the country's export-oriented garments industries. This was not a casual suggestion. It had substance in it.
But has the government carried out proper investigation into the whole episode? Has it completed the investigations responding to the suggestions? It seems not. And there lies the danger. There is every reason to fear that the conspirators, unless identified, could again trigger unrest and violence in the garments industries. I suggest that the investigations should be completed at the earliest to destroy their capacity to harm Bangladesh, its economic potentials and the well-being of the workers.
Md Amin Ali Tarafdar
Malibag,
Dhaka