Staff Reporter :
Different garment workers’ rights organizations made a united call at various protest rallies in Dhaka, urging the government and garment factory owners to ensure the payment of wages and festival allowances to the workers before the 20th of Ramadan.
These rallies were organized by Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati, Garments Sramik Front, and Sramik Karmachari Federation in front of the National Press Club to highlight their demands.
Taslima Akhter, president of the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati, who presided over their rally, pointed out that many workers had yet to receive their wages and Eid festival allowances.
“The workers would not be able to enjoy the festival if they did not get wages and full festival allowances equal to the basic of one month wage,” she stated, adding that there were reports of worker layoffs in Gazipur and Ashulia ahead of Eid.
Babul Hossain, the organization’s General Secretary, alongside central leaders Anjan Das, Ziadul Islam, and Probir Saha, echoed these concerns in their speeches. The rally concluded with a protest march through the city streets.
Ahsan Habib Bulbul, president of the Garment Sramik Front, similarly called for the wages and festival allowances to be paid by Ramadan 20.
The demand was supported by central leaders of the organization, including Khalequzzaman Lipon, Soumitra Kumar Das, and Saiful Islam Sharif, who also participated in a subsequent protest procession.
The Bangladesh Sramik Karmachari Federation held a rally too, led by its president Zahirul Islam, in front of the National Press Club.
Zahirul highlighted the plight of the low-paid garment workers, stressing that their ability to celebrate Eid would be severely affected if they did not receive their wages and festival allowances by the specified date.
