Jamaat urges govt to act swiftly

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Sunday described the ongoing unrest in the garment industry as “deeply worrying” and called on the government to take quick and sustainable steps to resolve the crisis in the country’s main export sector.

In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, he said the industry was going through a difficult period, citing the government’s failure to ensure uninterrupted power supply, high fuel prices, rising production costs, uncertainty in the global market, and cancelled, withdrawn or reduced purchase orders.

He said the lives of workers in the sector were also under severe strain because of rising house rents, higher prices of essentials, transport costs and medical expenses.

Sustainable steps” demandedDr Shafiqur said the government must urgently address the problems plaguing the sector if the industry is to survive.

He said that if uninterrupted power supply is ensured and production speed is increased, these problems could be resolved through reasonable consideration.

“If the industry survives, it is not only owners who survive, but the country as well,” he said, adding that the government must play a responsible role in saving both entrepreneurs and the workforce.

Concluding his post, the Jamaat chief urged all parties to show restraint and act responsibly.

He warned that any failure could push the country’s fragile economy to the brink of destruction, and said there was “no scope for delay.”

His remarks came as thousands of garment workers took to the streets in Ashulia, Gazipur and Dhaka’s Mirpur, demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk 30,000. More than 200 factories declared holidays on Sunday.

The government has formed a six-member wage board to review the minimum wage structure.