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]]>The workers put blockade on Dhaka-Aricha Highway, in front of the collapsed Rana Plaza, suspending all kinds of vehicular movements for about three hours causing severe gridlock on the busy motorway. Witnesses said hundreds of workers of collapsed Rana Plaza staged demonstration to put forward some demands including rehabilitation and the Savar victims, making a list of the missing and providing them with compensations, and awarding death sentence to the owner of the building.
The violence ensued as former president of Bangladesh Communist party Manzurul Ahsan Khan concluded his speech and left the scene. The workers instantly put barricade on the highway suspending all kinds of vehicular movement causing 10-kilometre long tailback.
“As we continued our demonstration, some leaders and activists of the Chhatra league and Juba League equipped with lethal weapons swooped on us in presence of police and tried to disperse us,” Shanta, a protesting worker told The Independent.
But the workers countered the assault by pelting stones and brickbats on the attackers triggering a fierce clash between the workers and ruling party leaders and activists and turning the Savar Bus Stand area into a battlefield that left 100 people injured.
A section of unruly workers damaged vehicles stranded on the road and police swung into action charging batons and firing teargas canisters, rubbers bullets to disperse them. The law enforcers arrested three people from the scene.
Sub-inspector Sheikh Farid Uddin told The Independent, “We could not identify anybody of Chhatra league or Juba League; we saw workers engaged in violence and damaged vehicles.”
“Savar Police Station and industrial police fired 20/25 rounds teargas canisters and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control,” he added.
Savar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (land) executive magistrate told journalists, “We will put forward their demands to higher authority and investigate the incident and those who attacked the workers.”
Meanwhile, several hundreds workers of seven garments factories located at Tejgaon Industrial Area in the city also blocked Tejgaon-Mohakhali and Gulshan link road at Tejgaon industrial area, demanding wage hike and overtime dues on Wednesday.
Witnesses said hundreds of workers from Sepal Garments factory took to the street at around 11:15am abstaining from work and staged demonstration in front of the factory and put barricade on Tejgaon-Gulshan link road.
At one stage, the workers brought out a procession and marched towards the neighbouring factory and asked the workers there to express their solidarity with them to meet their demands.
Sensing trouble and fearing vandalism, authorities of the six others neighbouring factories announced general holiday on Wednesday.
Immediately after the announcement, several hundred workers instantly joined the protesting workers and put blockade on Tejgaon-Mohakhali road.
Huge contingents of police and members of Rapid Action Battalion rushed to the scene and tried to clear the road but the workers didn’t pay any heed to repeated request of the law enforcers.
At one staged, police charged batons, teargas canisters to disperse the protestors, but the enraged workers countered it by pelting stones and brickbats on lawmen triggering a clash leaving 10 workers injured.
Deputy Commissioner Tejgaon Zone Biplab Kumar Sarkar told The Independent, “Police fired five rounds of gunshots in the air to bring the situation under control. Now everything is normal.”
Traffic on Tejgaon-Mohakhali and Gulshan link road finally resumed at around 12:45 pm after police dispersed the workers.
Some workers of Sepal Garments alleged that the management was demanding 12-hour work from them starting 7:00 am. But the workers insisted on overtime payment for two hours.
Far from it, they complained, work hours have been stretched by an hour and management was not providing any lunch or evening snacks.
They alleged the authority didn’t pay any heed to our demand although they assured us many times and thus we were forced to stage demonstration.
However, its owner and ruling coalition-backed Member of Parliament (MP), Tipu Munshi, told reporters the factory management had agreed to provide lunch allowance. “We decided to give Tk 25 to each worker for lunch, “ he added.
-With The Independent input
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]]>They also staged demonstration in the area to press the factory authorities to meet their several demands including increase in salary, bonus and overtime.
They had started their agitation protest on Saturday pressing for the demands including hike in wage and other allowances but the authorities dismissed the 25 workers in the last two days.
On the other hand, the workers of SQ Sweater Factory observed work abstention and staged demonstration on the Gazipur-Tangail Highway since the morning demanding hike in wage.
Meanwhile in Savar hundreds of RMG workers of the Dynasty Group blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway demanding immediate opening of their factories.
The workers assembled on the highway at 10 am. Later, the police dispersed them at 10.30 am.
-With The Independent input
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]]>Agitated workers of Misami-Bitopi, Youth Groups and Akik Apparels Ltd at Shewrapara took to the streets at about 9 am. They staged demonstrations by blocking roads, resulting in long traffic tailbacks from Mirpur-12 to Kazipara, Agargaon and Taltola. Owners announced a general holiday at the factories in the face of the protest. Traffic movement was suspended on the road till 11.30 am. Commuters faced immense suffering. Children and old people were the worst sufferers, sitting inside vehicles for hours on a sweltering day.
Workers of two garment factories in Shewrapara started the protest in the morning over wages and overtime payments, said Sakhawat Hossain, assistant commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Mirpur zone).
The agitated workers of Misami-Bitopi Garments alleged that the factory owner refused to pay attendance bonus to helpers of sewing machines and iron-men. They claimed that a certain group of workers, including sewing machine operators and people working in the quality and cutting sections, get Tk. 500 as attendance bonus per month. The workers also demanded Tk. 600 as tiffin charges.
A large number of law enforcers, including the police and the Rapid Action Battalion, rushed to the scene and pursued the agitating workers to clear the road. The workers agreed to clear the road after being assured that their demands would be conveyed to the owners.
“We’ve been demanding a pay rise and food facilities for a long time, but the owners did not respond. They also decided to shut down the factories during the agitation,” said Rokeya Begum of Akik Apparels at Shewrapara.
Workers of Misami-Bitopi said they started demonstrating at about 9 am after the factory owner rejected their demands. The demonstrating workers, particularly machine helpers, said they should be provided with lunch during working days.
The agitated workers hurled brickbats and smashed glass panes and windows of a pick-up van.
Kazi Wazed Alim, officer-in-charge of Kafrul police station, said: “The factory owner has been informed about the situation. We’re trying to disperse the workers.”
Sirajul Islam, director of Akik Apparels, said: “We will take steps as per government rules and regulations,” He claimed that his factory provides all kinds of facilities, including wages, as per government regulations.
Workers of Basundhara Garments at Kalabagan blocked the road under a nearby footbridge in the morning, in protest against shifting of their unit to a new location. They said the factory would be shifted to Hemayetpur in Savar on the outskirts of the capital on June 20. Fearing that they would lose their jobs, the workers came out on the street at 10:30 am.
The workers alleged that the management had served a notice in this regard only 24 days before the shifting. They claimed that a factory owner should inform the staff about shifting at least three months before. The agitated workers called off their protest when the owner assured them that the shifting would not take place until December.
For the last few days, RMG workers have been demonstrating in Ashulia and the capital, demanding a minimum salary of Tk. 8,000.
-With The Independent input
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]]>“We want to provide MB accounts to each of the employees working with the country’s readymade garment (RMG) sector,” said the governor while inaugurating the NCCB SureCash – a comprehensive mobile financial service – at a local hotel on Sunday. Describing the country’s banking sector as the most stable one compared others in the world and said its financial sector is resilient against moderate shocks.
He said that Bangladesh may be a role model for financial inclusion particularly for the courageous regulatory moves by its central bank.
He appreciated the central banks regulatory activities, guiding the banks, both private and public, in embracing financial innovative inclusive products even during this challenging time of global financial crisis. Canadian High Commissioner Heather Cruden appreciated the services which she said could help improve governance and fight corruption.
At the same time the Canadian high commissioner expressed her grave concern over the political instability and its economic impact and urged all concerned to reject the political violence. The country is having a crisis of reputation, she added.“The political parties need to clarify and publicly reject the use of political valance,” said the ambassador adding that Canada calls on them to engage one another meaningfully and constructively to address the ongoing political issues and ensure that the upcoming election will be free fair and transparent.
“The private sector needs to work with government to address workplace safety so that international buyers have the confidence to continue to invest.
The High Commissioner also appreciated the central bank for taking initiative to take advantage of technology to spread banking to the people who do not have access to banking services.
The inaugural function was also addressed among others by NCCBL chairman Nurun Newaz Salim, NCCBL managing director and CEO Mohammed Nurul Amin, Additional MD Golam Hafiz Ahmed, EVP Omar Faruque Bhuiyan and Progoti Sytems CEO Dr. Shahadat Khan.
The programme was attended by a large number of audiences which included representatives from various financial institutions, government officials, senior bankers, branch managers and customers.
National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd (NCCBL) started the mobile banking service through this inaugural programme.
The Progoti Systems is providing the technical supports to payments and remittance solutions to the bank.
Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur inaugurated the NCCB SureCash service by receiving some Tk 1000 sent by NCCBL managing director and CEO Mohammed Nurul Amin.
Using the NCCB SureCash services, a customer can open new account, deposit money, withdraw cash at any authorized SureCash agent or NCCB branch. A customer may also send money to another customer, receive salary or pay bills from his account using his own phone, without visiting any bank branch or agent. Atiur attributed the stable banking sector to the diversification in banks accounts and disbursement of loans in productive sector.
He pointed out that employees working with RMG sector will get every support but warned the financial institutions not to extend any lone to non-compliant industries.
“The central bank is working relentlessly to develop a skilled and secured banking system based on modern technology to ensure stability in the country’s financial sector,” said the governor.
-With The Independent input
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]]>The meeting was attended, among others, by labour and employment minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, shipping minister Shajahan Khan, FBCCI former presidents Salman F. Rahman and AK Azad, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, and BGMEA former presidents Shafiul Islam and Salam Murshedy.
Last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged BGMEA leaders to evolve an institutional mechanism to increase the salaries of garments workers by a certain percentage every year, to help them lead a decent life.
The board will be formed with representatives from apparel manufacturers, RMG workers, district and sessions judge, and an independent member. The board will draft a wage structure for the USD 20-billion apparel industry, which is responsible for almost 80 per cent of the country’s entire export earnings. The industry employs about four million workers, mostly women.
Meanwhile,the Social Compliances Forum on Readymade Garments has found that a total of 943 garment factories are housed in defective buildings, which do not properly follow fire safety rules. It has also identified factories that lack congenial working environments.
The forum members have visited 3,197 garment factories across the country following the inferno at Tazreen Fashions.
Commerce minister Ghulam Mohammad Quader on Sunday disclosed these figures to reporters after a meeting of the forum on readymade garments, which was held at the conference room of his ministry.
Apparel sector trade bodies—BGMEA and BKMEA—and labour leaders welcomed the decision, adding that they would accept the recommendations for the betterment of the industry. They expressed hope that the move would help to put an end to the longstanding labour unrest over wages.
Industry people also admitted that the demand for new wages is reasonable in the context of the global scenario and the rising rate of inflation and consumer price index.
Welcoming the decision, Jatiya Sramik Jote president Shirin Akhter said it would bring positive results and put an end to the crisis in the RMG sector. She also urged the government to take immediate steps to implement the workers’ rights as per labour law.
The wage board, on July 27, 2010, had set the minimum monthly pay at Tk. 3,000, raising it from Tk. 1,662.50, even though the workers demanded Tk. 5,000. The first minimum wage board was constituted in 1994 and fixed Tk. 940 as minimum wage for garment workers. The second one, formed in 2006, set the minimum wage at Tk. 1,662.50.
The government action came less than a week after a high-profile mission of the International Labour Organisation called on authorities to take immediate measures to improve labour standards and working conditions in the garments factories.
According to sources, the government has been under severe pressure to act in order to improve conditions in the country’s largest export industry. Foreign and domestic pressure has been mounting following a series of industrial accidents including the Tazreen Fire and Savar building collapse incidents.
Commerce secretary Mahbub Ahmed, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Atiqul Islam and other leaders of the readymade garments business as well as workers’ leaders attended the meeting.
“The Social Compliances Forum on Readymade Garments, formed under the leadership of the commerce minister, has visited 3,197 garments factories. The forum members have separately visited the factories in two groups. Of them, one group of members has examined the fire safety and emergency exit systems of 797 factories. The other group has examined the working environments and other benefits provided to garment workers,” the commerce minister explained.
Quader said the committee has identified a total of 943 factories out of the 3,197 factories which are housed in defective buildings.
A total of 243 factories out of these 943 factories lack proper fire safety compliances while 700 factories are running without proper compliances, such as proper, congenial working environments for the workers, the minister said.
“Time has been given to the owners of the defective factories to solve their problems and ensure compliance within a short period. Otherwise, the government will shut down their factories to ensure the workers’ rights and their safety,” the commerce minister warned.
Quader further said the government has already shut down 20 garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong areas. The BGMEA leaders have shut down two factories in Narayanganj on their own initiative.
The government has shut down 16 factories in Dhaka and four factories in Chittagong. The minister claimed these defective factories are not functioning at present. However, the minister did not disclose the list of defective garments factories which have been shut down or name the business leaders who own them.
Regarding the benefits of generalised system of preferences (GSP) in the US and the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (TICFA) treaty, Quader said, “We are getting only 0.5 per cent GSP benefits from the US now, which is a minor part of the GSP. However, if we fail to get the GSP benefits from the US, we will have to lose other markets across the world. That is why the government is trying to keep the GSP facilities with the authorities concerned.”
Regarding the TICFA with the US, he said, “It will help us get the GSP benefits for Bangladesh from the US. We could discuss the matter when the TICFA summit is held.”
-With The Independent input
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]]>Five people sustained bullet injuries and some 20 others were wounded, when police fired shots on agitating garment workers, near Rana Plaza at Savar, in the morning.
The police said the trouble started at Bank Town near Rana Plaza around 9.30am, when a group of RMG workers, angered by the slow rescue operations in the building that had collapsed, tried to break through the police cordon. Later, the law enforcement personnel fired some 50 rounds of rubber bullets and lobbed 20 teargas canisters to disperse them, injuring the five.
Four of those injured—Shahid, Murad, Yakub Ali and Johnny—were admitted to Enam Medical College and Hospital, in critical condition. Another was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The fifth injured person has not been identified yet.
Security on the Rana Plaza compound has been beefed up following the incident, police said.
Unruly workers also blocked Mirpur Road for two hours in the morning, but were dispersed later.
In Chittagong, garment workers staged a demonstration protesting against the collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar, and demanding the death penalty for the owner of the building.
During the demonstration, the garment workers set ablaze three covered vans and blockaded the city’s Airport Road for hours. They also brought out processions from different industrial areas of the city, in protest against the tragic incident and demanded safe working places.
Several hundred workers brought out a procession from the city’s Oxygen area, at about 9 am, to protest against the tragedy. At one stage, some angry workers set fire to three covered vans belonging to Abul Khair group near Chittagong Cantonment Public School and College. Fire brigade men rushed to the spot and succeeded in dousing the fire, before the vehicles were completely burnt.
Additional law enforcement agency members rushed to the area and brought the situation under control.
Besides, hundreds of workers took to the streets in the city’s Chittagong and Karnaphuli EPZ areas in the morning, and started converging on the Chittagong EPZ intersection. At one stage, the garments workers put up barricades, thereby disrupting vehicular movement on the city’s Airport Road.
High-ranking police officials rushed to the EPZ intersection and persuaded the irate workers to withdraw the road barricades at 11 am.
The garments workers also brought out protest processions from the city’s Kalurghat BSCIC industrial area, Agrabad, Terry Bazaar, Jamal Khan, Sadorghat and Olonkar areas.
On the other hand, Industrial Police (IP) have taken extensive preventive measures to check any sort of unrest in the readymade garments (RMG) sector in Chittagong, as a fallout of the Rana Plaza tragedy.
-With The Independent input
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The grand finale of the musical talent hunt for garment workers, “Premier Bank Garbo Gao Pran Khuley Gao” [by BGMEA], was held on March 19 at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the event as chief guest. Commerce Minister, Faruk Khan; LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam and State Minister for Labour and Employment, Munnujan Sufian were also present as special guests at the finale.
Roksana Khatun won the title, ‘Garbo of Bangladesh’. As part of the prize, she received a cheque worth Tk 10 lakh and a crest. First runner-up Pavel Rahman received Tk 6 lakh, while second runner-up Rajibul Islam got Tk 4 lakh.
FBCCI President AK Azad, along with the dignitaries, handed over the prizes to the winners.
Roksana Khatun is from Rangpur and works as a senior operator at DBL Group. Pavel Rahman works as a packing operator at Hot Dress Limited; he is from Magura. Rajibul Islam is a sample supervisor at Chaity Group, and is from Barisal.
Rest of the top ten contestants — Priya Das, Mejbah Uddin Hiru, Muraduzzaman, Farhad Hossain, Rakibul Hossain, Shaheen and Sagar Roy — received Tk 1 lakh each while Abdur Razzak and Rani Das got special awards worth Tk one and a half lakh.
Hosted by Munmun and Tania, the programme was aired live on Banglavision. Banglavision was the media partner of the programme.
The panel of jury included noted music director Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul, and renowned singers Sabina Yasmin and Asif Akbar.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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The grand finale of the musical talent hunt for garment workers, “Premier Bank Gorbo” (by BGMEA), will be held today at 5:30pm at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has consented to grace the programme as the chief guest. Commerce Minister, Faruk Khan; State Minister for Labour and Employment, Munnujan Sufian and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam will also be present at the event.Hosted by Munmun and Tania, the programme will be broadcast live on Banglavision.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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