Workers have occupied a Gazipur garment factory to demand wages and Eid bonuses.
The protest began at the GM and JC Composite Limited factory in the city's Bhogra area on Saturday afternoon. The protesters spent the night inside the factory and had their iftar and sehri at the location, bdnews24.com reports.
On May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, the protesters were still occupying the factory.
“The factory was supposed to hand over April’s salary and the Eid bonus after lunch on Saturday,” said 'Swapna', an employee. “The workers started the day with the joy and enthusiasm of getting their money and going home for the holiday. But, before noon, the factory supervisors started slipping out.”
“The workers kept waiting for their wages and bonuses, only to learn there was no one at the factory to give their money to them. The joy of Eid dissipated, creating unrest. That is why the protest began.”
Another worker named 'Rupali' said that they waited until evening for their wages, broke their fast with biscuits and water from nearby stores and went to the factory owner’s home in Uttara. The owner was not at home so they returned to the factory around 2:30 am and stayed there. They had water and biscuits for sehri as well. On Sunday morning they occupied the factory.
Azizul Haque, another factory worker, is a native of Gaibandha. He had hoped to collect his wage and Eid bonus and return home to join the Eid festivities alongside his family.
“My wife and children are waiting for me,” he said. “And here I am, stuck in the factory, waiting for my money with very little to eat.”
Due to a financial crunch at the factory and ‘banking issues before Eid’, the administration was unable to withdraw money and pay the workers, claimed Md Mofazzal Hossain, an accountant at the factory.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain said that police were looking for the factory owner as well, but had yet to find him.
Efforts were underway to pay the workers their due through alternate means, he said.
MANY GAZIPUR FACTORIES BEHIND ON WAGES
Thirty-seven garment factories, including ones owned by BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMEA members, have not paid workers their due for 15 days in April. Another 28 factories are yet to pay Eid bonuses, according to data from the Gazipur Industrial Area police.
According to SP Md Siddikur Rahman, eight of the BGMEA’s 77 factories, four of the BKMEA’s 129 factories, one of the BTMEA’s factories and 25 of the remaining 1,186 factories in the area have yet to pay workers for 15 days of work in April as dictated by the government.
Eight BGMEA factories, four BKMEA factories, one BTMEA factory and 15 other factories in the area have not paid Eid bonuses, he said.