Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday expressed serious concern over the ongoing unrest in the country’s readymade garment industry and urged authorities to investigate whether an Awami League (AL) leader and his associates are instigating the incidents.
In a statement, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar pointed to Dhaka North City AL General Secretary SM Mannan Kochi, was ex-President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), despite claims that he does not own a garment factory.
Parwar further alleged that Kochi was directly involved in the violence and repression against students and civilians during recent demonstrations in Mirpur and Uttara.
“In light of this, I urge the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate whether Kochi and the current BGMEA board, which was appointed by him, are playing a behind-the-scenes role or acting as instigators in the ongoing worker unrest,” Parwar said.
The statement was made in response to the increasing instability in the garment sector, particularly the protests and vandalism in Ashulia and Gazipur, which have raised concerns for the industry.
Parwar noted that Jamaat-e-Islami has been closely monitoring the unrest and the growing dissatisfaction among workers in the garment sector. He stressed that continued instability would have a detrimental effect on Bangladesh’s economy.
“The instability in this sector will in no way bring any positive outcomes for the country’s economy or those involved in the industry,” he said.
He warned that rival countries, particularly neighbouring nations, could exploit this unrest to harm Bangladesh’s garment industry.
“Our competitors will take advantage of this situation to conspire against us, which could allow them to capture our market and profit from it,” Parwar added.
The Jamaat leader called on labour organisations working within the garment sector to identify those responsible for plotting to destabilise the industry in the name of workers and labour bodies.
He urged them to hand over the culprits to law enforcement in order to restore a stable working environment.
Parwar concluded by emphasising the importance of swiftly addressing the unrest to prevent further damage to the country’s economy and its global standing in the garment industry.