Staff Reporter :
The government has established a six-member committee to address labour unrest and review the labour and business environment of 24 industrial units within Beximco.
The panel, led by Labour Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, will propose short-, medium-, and long-term measures to permanently resolve the unrest and ensure a favourable work environment in similar enterprises, according to a Cabinet Division notification issued yesterday.
Other members of the committee include Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, and Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqui.
The advisory panel will be supported by a five-member committee of secretaries, comprising representatives from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the finance, commerce, and labour ministries. The administrator of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will also assist the committee.
The initiative follows continued demonstrations by workers
at the Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur. In response, the government allocated Tk 60 crore from the national budget to help the conglomerate pay October wages.
Beximco, which employs approximately 40,000 people, has faced significant operational challenges since the arrest of its vice-chairman, Salman F Rahman. Rahman, who previously served as private sector adviser to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was detained following the ouster of the Awami League government in August this year.
The group’s production at the industrial park has ceased due to a shortage of raw materials and unpaid wages. Banks have also been reluctant to extend fresh credit, complicating efforts to import raw materials.
Janata Bank, Beximco’s main lender, has halted new disbursements after a large portion of the group’s loans became non-performing. Of the Tk 23,000 crore borrowed from Janata Bank, Tk 19,000 crore was categorised as non-performing in the July-September quarter, according to banking sources.
On 10 November, Bangladesh Bank, acting on a High Court directive, appointed a receiver to oversee Beximco Group’s financial affairs and assets.
The newly formed committee aims to develop actionable recommendations to stabilise the situation and prevent similar issues in the future.
