External-mercenary taps in the labor movement, the decision to get tough

Garment workers have been protesting for various demands in the industrial areas of Gazipur and Savar for the past few days. Apart from the apparel sector, discontent also spread in the pharmaceutical and ceramic sectors. In view of this, at least 60 factories have been notified of holidays. The government has decided to take strict measures to resolve the workers' dissatisfaction in the situation.

On Wednesday (September 4), in a meeting of some advisors in the office of the Home Affairs Adviser, instructions were given to arrest or detain the disorderly people if necessary to control the situation.

Advisers say there is no 'sense of momentum' in the discontent. The 'tenants' and 'tokairas' are also responsible for the vandalism. If 50 people sit on the streets, 500,000 people will suffer. So if they have to use force, caning, water cannons, the government will do that.

Disruption of production in industrial factories one after another due to labor protests. After the meeting with Yunus, 6 advisers held a meeting at the secretariat. Interior Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. LGRD Adviser AF Hasan Arif, Legal Adviser Asif Nazrul, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar, Industrial Adviser Adilur Rahman and Labor and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan were present in the meeting chaired by Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

After the meeting, LGRD adviser Hasan Arif said that those who are creating chaos in the name of labor movement in the industrial area are not workers but outsiders. We mean real workers, at least they won't burn down their own houses. The workers themselves said that real workers are not doing any such chaos. Because it is their livelihood. In order to save factories, workers and the country's economy, strict action must be taken against a few individuals. He said, the local factory will be destroyed, then who will benefit? So the workers are not making any mess. Most of those who are doing it are foreigners. We have to be a little tougher because of how to deal with them. The advisor said, 'We have kept in mind that the government will never use force against its citizens, it is normal. But now such a situation has arisen, if we want to save the factories, workers and the country's economy, strict action must be taken against a few. We had a discussion about that.'

At the end of the meeting, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Advisor to Labor and Employment Organizations, told reporters that Awami League's 'influentials' still remain in the garment industry and the people of BNP are also coming to take over. He asked the BNP to 'restrain' their party people and gave a message to crack down on the Awami League people.

The labor adviser said the workers have some demands, which are long-term. Such as increase in salary, revision of labor laws. These cannot be implemented in one day. Still, business leaders say they will talk to them.

He said, workers are not seen in this movement, those who are brought to these movements with money; Those Tokais are appearing. Awami League people have left the syndicates they used to run. Now strict action will be taken against those trying to encroach and outsiders trying to break the order.

The Labor and Employment Adviser said that the action will start from today to resolve the workers' dissatisfaction. Police will not take any action that causes harm there. Appropriate action will be taken to clear the roads. Those who fuel will be arrested. At the same time, the fair demands of the workers will be discussed at length.

He said, based on the information already available to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the fuel suppliers will be arrested. The police will take action for the public nuisance that has been created there.

He said, we have held several meetings with the owners and the workers regarding the workers' dissatisfaction. The industry advisor is also speaking. I have come to know from the labor leaders that the movements that are happening now, the labor leaders themselves are not able to understand the nature of this movement. Because, there is no specific demand coming up here. No specific clauses are available.

The Labor Adviser said that those who usually do labor movements are not active there. There is an abundance of outsiders. In some places, the owners are delaying the payment of salaries, that's why there is agitation. There are some specific factories where the owners have fled. There has been some dissatisfaction. We are addressing them, the government has announced soft loans for them. Its scope will be further increased. Incidents like car vandalism have taken place everywhere in the name of Bekar Yuva Sangh who have never agitated within the labor area.

He said it was the labor leaders who told him that they had walked there and seen the Tokais in helmets and shorts, who were hired with money for various programs. The labor adviser said that Awami League is also present locally in some places. I have been informed that some local BNP leaders are also there. The central leaders of BNP are talking about this so that they keep them under wraps.

Bangladesh /SBT