Garment zone intelligence vigil raised to highest level

Intelligence vigilance has been beefed up to the highest level in industrial belts after the recent garment unrest at Ashuliya, as part of the government decision to ensure security to the over 12 billion dollar export-processing zone industries that employ over 3.1 million workers, mostly women.
Ashuliya-Savar and Mirpur-Tejgaon belt in Dhaka district, Gazipur-Tongi-Joydebpur-Sreepur and Konabari-Kashempur-Mawna belts in Gazipur district, Fatullah-Rupganj-Narayanganj Bandar belt in Narayanganj district and Chittagong town belt in Chittagong district have been mainly brought under the intelligence surveillance with a view to stopping garment unrest.          
According to industry insiders the labour unrest takes place following the sacking workers from jobs, closing down of the factories, freeze on pay hikes and irregular payments, jhoot (cloth left-overs) trading and instigation by the unscrupulous labour leaders.
A total of 4,800 garment factories were registered with the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Of those, over 60 percent garment factories are located at Ashuliya, Savar in Dhaka, Sreepur, Mawna, Konabari, Joydebpur in Gazipur district, Fatullah in Narayanganj district and Mirpur in Dhaka city.    
Over 5000 additional forces have also been deployed at different strategic points surrounding the garment belts in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj district fearing possible attacks on the garment factories, following intelligence agencies information that a vested quarter is trying to create anarchy in this sector for destroying it.
Different intelligence agencies are now doing their work separately besides the local thana police for saving the garment industry from ruin. 
Senior police officials from their respective areas have stressed the need for concerted efforts of the BGMEA leaders, garment workers, labour leaders, local lawmakers and ministry of home and labour to address the issue correctly.
They also advocated for setting up industrial police to deal with the matter, citing the sector the most important for Bangladesh, as it has been earning the highest foreign exchanges. The police officials also said that they had already taken necessary security measures in the industrial belts with a view to preempting fresh unrest. Besides, the local police, members of different intelligence agencies have been working separately for stemming the unrest, the added.              
Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of the BGMEA told this correspondent yesterday, ” We met the Prime Minister on Tuesday and placed the security issue of the garment factories before her. During the talks, we realised that the premier had already been informed of the matter. We urged the premier to set up industrial police to deal with the garment factory related matter.”
“The premier instantly asked her principal secretary Abdul Karim and additional inspector general of police (admn) Nabo Bikrom Kishore Tripura to take immediate steps in this regard,” he said. “I am coordinating the garment related matter with the police,” he said.        
Talking to this correspondent superintendent of police (SP) of Dhaka Iqbal Bahar told yesterday, “Over 890 garment factories are housed in Ashuliya and Savar areas and of them 800 were located in Ashuliya. Of the factories, 25 were found vulnerable to unrest. We also identified that 25 people are behind the garment unrest in the area and two of them had already been arrested and sent to jail.”
 “A precautionary measure has already been taken in this garment factory belt with deployment of over 1000 garment workers to avert fresh unrest,” he said.
“It is impossible for police to solve the matter alone, a concerted effort of all including BGMEA leaders, workers, labour leaders and local lawmakers is needed to address the issue correctly,” he opined. He stressed the need for setting up industrial police to deal with the matter separately.
“Besides these, members of different intelligence agencies are working in the area to collect information in advance to address the issue before the occurrence,” he added.
SP of Gazipur district SM Mahfuzul Nuruzzaman, BPM, told this correspondent yesterday, “A total of 2000 policemen have been deployed at different strategic points in Gazipur district to ensure security to the garment factories located in the area.”
“We have already held several rounds of talks with the BGMEA leaders, labour leaders, workers and other concerned people to solve the problems,” he added.
SP of Narayanganj district Biswas Afzal Hossain told this correspondent yesterday, ” There are over 2,500 small and big industries at Fatullah and Rupganj thana areas where over 11 lakhs people have been working. Of the factories, over 300 were housed at BSCIC areas and the remaining were located at Katherpul, Kashipur, Pagla, Kanchpur and Narayanganj Sadar. A total of 16 factories including NR Garment, Palmal Group, Hamid Fashion and Metro Fashion were found vulnerable.”
“Now our prime job is to ensure security to the garment factories and we have already taken initiatives in this regard with the deployment of additional forces,” he said.
“Some 130 members from the range reserve force of police and 50 members from armed police battalion have also been deployed at different strategic points to guard the garment factories,” he informed. “Besides, a total of 1200 members from the Narayanganj district police have been put on alert to the highest level for dealing with the garment factory unrest,” he added.
He also stressed the need for setting up industrial police to deal with the garment factory related matters.
 
Courtesy of The Independent