CHATTOGRAM, Dec 24: Gates of six factories here of the embroiled S Alam Group, including power plant and sugar refinery, were shut on the staffs indefinitely without citing grounds.
Witnesses said the suddenly laid-off staffers kept staging factory-gate demonstrations, in one of troubles of recent times in some big businesses following the interim government's anti-graft crackdown.
The factories are S Alam Refined Sugar Industries, S Alam Power Plant Ltd, S Alam Cold Rolled Steels Ltd, S Alam Cold Rolled Steels Ltd (SALAMCRST), S Alam Power Generation Ltd, and Infinity CR Strips Industries Lt.
Of them, edible-oil and sugar factories were shut by issuing notices and the four others verbally.
The notices, signed by Mohammad Borhan Uddin, head of human resources and administration department of the group, were issued Tuesday.
However, security, delivery and emergency departments of the factories will remain functional as per company decision.
"Soon after the announcement of the closure, workers staged demonstrations in front of the factories demanding that the factories be kept open," says spot accounts of the scenes.
The factories are located in Kalapool and Ichhanagar areas on the banks of the Karnaphuli River and Gandamara area under Banshkhali upazila.
Wishing not to be quoted by name, an official of the group said the interim government had been given a six-month timeframe to settle the issues of assets and investments of the conglomerate.
"If the issues are not settled in the stipulated time, the group will move to international arbitration," he said.
Sources said Mohammad Borhan Uddin, Head of Human Resources and Administration Department of S Alam Group, gave notice of closure of its factories from tomorrow (Wednesday).
The notice was issued this (Tuesday) afternoon.
The closure notice was served to all the workers, officers and employees of S Alam Refined Sugar Industries Limited and S Alam Power Plant Limited. S Alam's factories. Other factories are also situated at the same area. The notices were also served at the rest of the factories today.
The notice reads the factories S Alam Refined Sugar Industries Limited and S Alam Power Plant Limited and other factories will remain closed from tomorrow (Wednesday) "until further notice". As per the instructions of the authorities, the opening date of the factory will be informed through further notice.
Confirming the matter, Rafiqul Islam, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of S Alam Refined Sugar Industry Limited, said an official decision had been made on the factory- closure notice.
On the other hand, workers are shocked by getting the notice this afternoon. They said just before the end of the office time, the management served the notice and compelled the workers to get out.
Shamsu Meah, a worker, said without any notice or announcement, the office authorities came suddenly in the afternoon and announced the closure of all activities of the factory from tomorrow (Wednesday). "None of us could accept such a sudden decision of the factory authorities."
The agitated workers said, "Now our only demand is that we insist on opening the factory immediately, otherwise the workers give notice of a greater movement."
Meanwhile, the authorities and their men cleared the factory and gate areas of the factories by forcing to leave the workers from the spot, locals said.
The workers brought out processions nearby. They have also given threat for further movement if the authority would not withdraw the notices.
On December 18 the notice was given by Saiful Alam Masud. In the notice that was given to the interim government it was stated that Saiful Alam Masud would start an international legal battle to recover this loss.
However, he would not do it as a Bangladeshi citizen, but as a Singaporean citizen. The notice cites the Bilateral Investment Agreement of 2004 between Bangladesh and Singapore.
S Alam's family has been living permanently in Singapore since 2011. They got citizenship of the country between 2021 and 2023. They renounced their citizenship of Bangladesh in 2020.
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