RMG workers demonstrate in Dhaka, Gazipur for back pay

Disgruntled workers from a few garment factories have taken to the streets of Dhaka and Gazipur demanding payment of their dues.

In the capital, the workers lined the streets near Abul Hotel and demonstrated for over three hours from 8:00am on Sunday.

Police later calmed the workers down and persuaded them to call off the protests at 11:30am, said Hatirjheel Police OC Abdur Rashid.

The protesters are owed their salaries for February and March, 'Ujjal', who works in the sewing unit of the Tahsin Fashion in DIT Road, said, reports bdnews24.

Initially, the owners had set April 15 as the payday but did not follow through with it, he said. The date of payment was rescheduled to April 26 but the authorities later called the women workers over the phone on Saturday, saying they would send Tk 2,000 through Bkash.

“This dilly-dallying forced us to come out onto the streets and protest.”

There were a handful of protesters on the streets, according to OC Rashid.

The workers later cleared the streets after police assured them that they would get paid on April 28, he said.

Meanwhile, garment workers from two separate factories demonstrated in Dakshin Salna and Bhogra areas in Gazipur and blocked roads demanding their dues on Sunday morning.

Workers of GMP Factory in Dakkhin Salna area blocked Salna-Shimultali road while workers of Style Cap factory in Bhogra area blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway around 9:00am.

Agitating workers said they went home as soon as the general holidays started but came back and attended work as the factories reopened.

They said they were forced to demonstrate for salary of the month of March and went on work abstention.

Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Salna Police Station, said they have been trying to discuss payment of wages with factory owners.

Bhogra Police could not be reached for comment when contacted by UNB.

Police sources said about 50 factories were open during the last one week amid the fear of coronavirus outbreak among workers.

In the meantime, some other owners have started opening factories.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s private sector adviser Salman F Rahman on Saturday said the country’s export-oriented factories must be reopened slowly by maintaining necessary health protocol to save the economy.

Rubana Huq, president of the BGMEA, said they were under pressure to allow reopening 856 factories.

Bangladesh ordered a nationwide shutdown of offices and factories from March 26 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus infection. The majority of garment factories have remained shuttered during the lockdown.

Under the circumstances, the government also announced a Tk 50 billion economic relief package for the exporting industries, including garment factories, to pay their workers.