Sunday, May 19, 2024

PM for yearly salary hike of RMG workers

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged the BGMEA leaders to evolve an institutional mechanism to enhance the salaries of garment workers by a certain percentage every year to help them maintain a descent life. “The RMG workers’ salaries need to be increased by a certain percentage each year, and a mechanism to this end should have to be developed,” she said. The Prime Minister made the call when the leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) met her at her office. BGMEA president Md Atiqul Islam led the delegation.
During the meeting, she put emphasis on creating a congenial working environment, including setting up of dormitories, ensuring Medicare facilities and daycare centers for the welfare of the workers as well as their children to utilise their maximum productivity and quality products.
Besides, she suggested the owners of the RMG factories to beef up their security measures and keep a strong vigil.
Suggesting the garment factory owners to relocate their factories outside Dhaka city, especially in the northern region, assuring them of all-out government support to this end, Hasina said, “You (factory owners) could relocate the factories outside Dhaka considering cheap land, labour and tax holiday facilities.”
She said the government would ensure a cheap and smooth communication network for transporting their products through river and railway routes.
The premier asked the garment manufacturers to conduct surveys to evaluate the structural strength of the existing factory buildings.
“We could assure you of extending all necessary cooperation to this end and unused funds from the SME sector could be used for the purpose.”
Besides, the Prime Minister laid emphasis on using the Mongla Port for exporting readymade garment factories and said necessary directives would be given to the authorities concerned to create necessary facilities to this end.
Stressing the need for setting up mills and factories with environment-friendly measures having the provision of nearby ponds and water bodies so that water could be available in case of any possible fire incident she said, “All will have to come out of this mentality of using every inch of land for constructing any infrastructure as there must be some open space and roads near the factory.”
Referring to the use of large generators and other heavy machineries on various floors of garments factories, the Prime Minister said the building should be constructed with load and vibration absorbing capacity to prevent recurrence of ‘Rana Plaza’ like building collapse in the future.
Describing various frantic efforts of her government in conducting rescue operation and rehabilitation of the dead and wounded workers at the Savar building collapse, Hasina said necessary measures would be taken so that those who lost their limbs could get at least Tk 10,000 to 12,000 monthly income to run their families.
Responding to the demand of forming a separate ministry for the apparel sector, the Prime Minister said the Textiles and Jute Ministry is solely responsible to look into the matters of apparel sector.
During the meeting, the BGMEA leaders proposed to construct a multistoried building on the land of Rana Plaza and said all the incomes generated from the building could be used for the welfare of injured garment workers.
Besides, they proposed setting up a memorial on the ground floor inscribing the names of all the deceased garment workers of Rana Plaza.
The BMGEA leaders said they would take necessary measures for the rehabilitation and arrangement of jobs for the injured garment workers and special arrangement would be made for those who lost their limbs.
They also informed the Prime Minister that generators of all garment factories would be set up on the ground floors in the garment factories to reduce the loads.
Besides, the owners of the factories were directed to submit the designs of their factories within May 30 and 12 engineers were recruited through Buet to oversee the matter, the BGMEA leaders said.
BGMEA second vice president SM Mannan Kochi, leaders Tipu Munshi and Abdus Salam Murshed were, among others, present.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Shaikh Md Wahid Uz Zaman and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present.

-With The Independent input

Related News

Price of gold increases by Tk1,178 per bhori

The new rate will be effective from Sunday (19 May) News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (Bajus) today (18 May) increased the price of gold by Tk1,178 per bhori, followed by a price hike in the local bullion market. According to a Bajus statement, 22-carat gold will now cost Tk1,18,460 per bhori (11.664 ... Read more

9 Bangladeshis named in Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Nine Bangladeshis have been named in Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list for their contributions across various industries. Forbes announced its prestigious “30 Under 30 Asia” list for the ninth consecutive year yesterday (15 May), showcasing 300 exceptional young individuals under the age of 30 who are making significant strides across ... Read more

SC Stays HC Verdict On Condemn Cell

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Appellate Division on Wednesday stayed a High Court verdict that asked the jail authorities not to put death sentence inmates in the solidarity confinement before the end of all legal processes. The Appellate Division judge in chamber, Justice M Enayetur Rahim, granted the stay after hearing an appeal filed by ... Read more

BRTA to take ‘no helmet, no fuel’ policy for bikers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Besides, no battery-run auto-rickshaws will be allowed to operate in Dhaka The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has decided to take a “no helmet, no fuel” approach for motorcycle riders across the country. Besides, no battery-run auto-rickshaws will be allowed to operate in Dhaka, according to decisions taken at a meeting ... Read more

MV Abdullah finally arrives at Ctg port

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The 23 crew members of Bangladeshi flag carrier MV Abdullah, which was recently freed from the captivity of Somali pirates, has reached the Chittagong Port today (14 May). The Chittagong Port Authority has a reception at the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to welcome back the sailors. Their family members are ... Read more

JnU female student gets 5 yrs in DSA case

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A Dhaka tribunal has sentenced Tithy Sarker, a suspended student of Jagannath University, to five years imprisonment in a DSA case filed for making derogatory comments about religion on Facebook. However, it has granted her a year-long probation on eight conditions, including regular care for her aged father, following traffic rules, ... Read more

Detention in condemned cells before final disposal of the case unlawful: High Court

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The High Court (HC) has ruled that it is illegal and unlawful to detain convicts in the condemned cell (blind cell) of the prison before the death sentence is finalised by the verdict of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division. The High Court bench of Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Md ... Read more

Patient dies after being stuck in lift at Gazipur hospital

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A patient of Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital has died after getting stuck in a lift for about 45 minutes today (12 May) morning. The deceased was identified as Momtaz Begum, 53, wife of Sharfuddin of Raniganj Barigaon village in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur. Citing family members, the Hospital’s ... Read more

SSC 2024: Girls outshine boys in pass rate, GPA-5

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A total 1,82,129 students achieved GPA 5 in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations. Of them, 98,776 were girls and 83,353 boys. Results for the 2024 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations are out, and just like last year, girls have outperformed boys in both the pass ... Read more

2024 SSC, equivalent exam results published

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The results of this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams have been published today. According to the education board website, the pass rate of Dhaka board is 83.92%, while it is 89.25% in Rajshahi board, 79.20% in Cumilla board, 89.13% in Barishal board, 82.80% in Chattogram board, 78.40% in ... Read more

How to get your 2024 SSC results on May 12

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams will be published tomorrow, Sunday. Earlier, the education ministry declared the date, 12 May, through a press release. The candidates can get their results online or through SMS after 11:00am on that day. To get the results under general boards through SMS, ... Read more

SSC, equivalent exam results tomorrow

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The results of the Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations of 2024 will be published tomorrow. Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel, along with ministry officials and board chairmen, is expected to hand over the results to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the morning. The education minister is scheduled to publish ... Read more

Mango harvest hits in Satkhira

Price doubled compared to last year News Desk : dhakamirror.com Freshly harvested mangoes have started hitting the markets in Satkhira. Many mango varieties, including Golapkhas, Sarikhas, Gopalbhog, Bombay, and other local types were available at Boro Bazar, one of the largest mango markets in the district. Nevertheless, the price has doubled compared to last year ... Read more

bKash communications chief Mahfuz Sadique dies at 40

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Mahfuz Sadique, chief communications officer of mobile financial services firm bKash, passed away in Bangladesh capital Dhaka Friday morning. He was 40. Mahfuz died around 9:00am while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital, bKash said in a statement. Mahfuz, who began his career as a journalist at New Age, ... Read more

Prices for potatoes increase by 229% from the previous year

Prices for potatoes varied from Tk16 to Tk22 per kg at this time last year. News Desk : dhakamirror.com Despite the presence of both new and old potatoes in the market, potato prices have soared by 229% compared to late December last year. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the selling price for ... Read more

LGED engineer dead, UNO among 3 injured in Panchagarh car crash

News Desk : dhakamirror.com An engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) was killed and three other government officials were injured when the vehicle of a UNO hit a roadside tree in Panchagarh Sadar upazila early today. The deceased was identified as Abu Sayed, 33, upazila engineer of LGED from Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon. ... Read more

UNHCR calls for rescue of Rohingyas stranded in Andaman Sea

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has made an urgent appeal to all countries in the region, particularly those in the area surrounding the Andaman Sea, to swiftly deploy their full search and rescue capacities in response to reported vessels in distress with hundreds of Rohingya at risk of perishing. ... Read more

Over 200 RMG workers injured in Comilla while evacuating factory during earthquake

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Over two hundred garment workers in Cumilla’s Chauddagram have been injured while trying to evacuate the factory building of Amir Shirt Garment Limited during today’s earthquake. A 5.5 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10km jolted Dhaka, and parts of the country at 9:35am today (2 December). The epicentre of the ... Read more

Daughter hacked father to death in Chattogram

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A father was hacked to death by his own daughter during an altercation over a trivial matter at Lohagara upazila in Chattogram on Friday (1 December). The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 50, of Putibila Sarai village under the upazila. Police have detained the daughter, Humaira Begum, 23, soon after ... Read more

HSC results: Dhaka has most GPA-5 achievers, while Barishal has highest pass rate

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka had the highest number of GPA-5 recipients in the HSC exams, while Barishal Education Board had the highest pass rate among nine educational boards. Education Minister Dipu Moni announced today that the overall pass rate in the nine general boards is 75.90 percent. In terms of pass rates, Barishal ranked ... Read more