Staff Reporter :
Workers from three ready-made garment factories owned by the TNZ Group have revealed that they are owed a staggering Tk17.78 crore in unpaid wages, bonuses, and other allowances. However, as of Thursday, only Tk1.05 crore has been paid to them.
The workers broke down the outstanding amount in a press statement issued after a press conference at the Srom Bhaban (Labour Building) on Friday.
The press conference followed an announcement made the previous evening, where Labour and Employment Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain claimed that disgruntled workers of the TNZ Group were paid their dues through the sale of factory cars from Apparel Eco Plus Ltd.
The workers condemned this announcement, stating that employees from TNZ Apparels Ltd, Apparel Plus Eco Ltd, and Apparel Art Ltd have been staying at Srom Bhaban for five days in hopes of receiving their unpaid dues. “The workers have not slept, eaten, or bathed for five days now. We have run out of patience.
Our families are waiting for us. If we receive our Eid salary and bonus, we will go home and celebrate Eid,” said a press statement signed by Md Shahidul Islam, Rekha Akhter Tinni, and Md. Shaheen Alam on behalf of the workers.
The workers provided a breakdown of the dues. In TNZ Apparels, over Tk6.94 crore remain unpaid wages for February and March, and over Tk1.69 crore as Eid bonus.
A total of Tk6.75 crore were unpaid as salaries for January, February, and March, along with Eid bonuses and other allowances. They were paid Tk1.05 crore in Apparel Eco Plus. Apparel Art Ltd has Tk2.04 crore in unpaid salaries for three months, Eid bonuses, and other allowances.
The workers also criticised the government for creating confusion about their dues.
“On the one hand, the government is terming the workers’ protests as ‘incitement’, while on the other hand, it is ignoring our peaceful movement day after day,” the statement said. The workers further warned that if their dues, including the Eid bonus, are not paid before Eid, they will continue their protest and may present their demands to the chief adviser.
In related news, police took TNZ Group Director Shariful Islam Shahin into custody in Gazipur city after he was confined to his factory by workers demanding their February salary and Eid bonus. Ali Mohammad Rashed, officer-in-charge of Gacha Police Station, confirmed that Shariful was brought to the police station but had not yet been officially detained or arrested.
According to police sources, around 100-200 workers allegedly took Shariful from his Uttara residence on Thursday night and confined him inside the factory as part of their protest. He was later rescued by the police, and discussions are ongoing to resolve the issue.
