Uneasy calm prevails at Ashulia

An uneasy calm is prevailing at Jamgora and Nrisinghapur in Ashulia industrial belt as the workers of closed factories are on the run in fear of arrest over the cases filed by the factory authorities and the police.
The readymade garment factory owners now seem to take a hard line, not giving in to the workers’ 
demand.
Labour leaders are also thinking to write to the ministry concerned formally to hold discussion over the workers demands and to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Apparel workers at Ashulia have been demonstrating since December 11, demanding increase in minimum wage to Tk 16,000 from Tk 5,300.
Terming the workers’ demands illegal, the authorities of 85 factories on Tuesday and Wednesday announced closure of their units under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act for an indefinite period.
Following the closure, at least 278 workers of two readymade garment factories in the industrial belt were terminated on Wednesday and Thursday and four cases were filed against over 1,500 workers for instigating the labour unrest. 
At least 26 people including workers and labour leaders have so far been picked up by the law enforcers in connection with the labour unrests.
‘We want to resume production in our factories but workers would have to make promise that they would not create any anarchy in the factories,’ Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Siddiqur Rahman told New Age on Friday.
He said that after getting promise from the workers all the closed factories would be re-opened together.
One of the labour leaders said they started process to send a letter to the labour ministry for holding discussion on the workers demands and resolve the crisis.
He said that letters from several labour organisations would be sent to the ministry as early as possible. 
To tackle the turbulent situation in the industrial belt, several platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh were deployed with other law enforcement agencies, including Rapid Action Battalion, in the area.

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