12 garment factory owners banned from traveling abroad

The government has banned the owners of 12 ready-made garment factories from traveling abroad for not paying the workers' arrears of wages and compensation. They will not be able to travel abroad until the workers' dues are paid.Labor and Employment Advisor M Sakhawat Hossain gave this information at a press conference at the capital's Secretariat on Tuesday. He said that the Home Ministry has informed the immigration authorities about the matter. The ban has come into effect from today.

Later, after checking with the Labor Ministry, it was learned that the owners of three companies of the Dard Group, two companies of the Mahmud Group, four companies of the TNZ Group, Stylecraft Limited and Young Ones (BD) Limited and Roar Fashion have been banned from traveling abroad.

The Labor Advisor said that there are instructions to pay the salaries and bonuses of the workers of ready-made garment factories by Thursday (March 27). However, 12 factories have said that they will not be able to pay within the stipulated time. Out of these, five factories are experiencing worker dissatisfaction.M Sakhawat Hossain said, "The owners of factories that have failed to pay salaries and bonuses on time have been banned from traveling abroad. According to the labor law, the government will take maximum action against them. These owners do not have problems traveling abroad, nor do they have problems buying houses and cars. However, they show various problems when paying their workers' dues."

When asked what action will be taken if the workers' salaries and bonuses are not paid within the stipulated time, M Sakhawat Hossain said, the matter will be reviewed after Thursday. If any other institution fails to pay salaries and bonuses, maximum legal action will be taken against them.

Officials of the BGMEA, the organization of ready-made garment industry owners, said that on January 24, the Ror Fashion authorities laid off the Bhaluka factory in Mymensingh. The factory's 1,376 workers will receive January salaries and layoff compensation. In addition, the workers are owed 7 million taka for salaries and allowances for November-December. The factory workers blocked the BGMEA building in Uttara this week to demand their demands. The managing director of this factory is Mamunul Islam.

Meanwhile, two factories of the Mahmud Group in Chandra, Gazipur were closed at the end of last year due to various crises. The workers are still waiting for compensation. The group's managing director is AKM Aminul Islam.Workers of Stylecraft and Young One (BD) Limited in Gazipur held a sit-in program in front of the labor building last Sunday to collect their dues. A person named Ram Prasad Singh (40) fell ill during the sit-in program and died. The managing director of this factory is Shams Almas Rahman. Meanwhile, four factories of the Dard Group were closed in Hemayetpur, Savar, in December 2022. The compensation money for the workers of those factories is still pending. Itimad Ud Daula and Nabil Ud Daula are the owners of the Dard Group. In addition, the salary and Eid bonus of the TNZ Group factory in Gazipur are pending. The managing director of this group is Shahdat Hossain Shamim.

Awami League's kite will no longer be allowed to fly in Bangladesh: Advisor Mahfuz Alam

 Referring to the Awami League as a 'replaced force' from abroad, Information Advisor Mahfuz Alam said that the Awami League's kite will no longer be allowed to fly in Bangladesh.

Advisor Mahfuz Alam said this at a discussion and iftar program organized in the capital on Friday in memory of the martyrs and injured of the July mass uprising.

Mahfuz Alam said that the Awami League is not a domestic force but is essentially a 'replaced force' from abroad. He said, '...its (Awami League) thread is tied in Delhi and the kite flies in Bangladesh. This kite will not be allowed to fly in Bangladesh again.'

The Information Advisor said that whenever the Awami League gets an opportunity, it will definitely go against the aspirations of the common people of the country. He said, 'We have won against Awami fascism. We must remember that the victory we have achieved was achieved through political and united struggle. If we do not maintain unity and continue the political fight, the Awami League will come back.’

Commenting on the elections, Mahfuz Alam said that the elections will be held on time in December. He urged everyone to prepare for the elections. He said that Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that the elections will be held on time. It is scheduled to be held by the end of this year, in December. A deadline has already been set and the elections will be held within that deadline. Everyone should start preparing for it.

The information advisor expressed hope that if political parties work responsibly, stop sabotage and state agencies cooperate properly, then the elections will be held on time.

Discussions with army as political interference: Hasnat Abdullah

National Citizens Party (NCP) Chief Organizer (South) Hasnat Abdullah speaks at a press conference. This Friday at the National Citizens Party (NCP) office at Rupayan Tower in Bangla Motor in the capital. Photo: Prothom Alo

Jatiya Nagorik Party Chief Organizer (South) Hasnat Abdullah said that they consider the discussions held with the higher authorities of the army at the cantonment as interference in political matters. He said this at an emergency press conference at the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) office at Rupayan Tower in Bangla Motor in the capital on Friday.

Responding to a question on this matter, Hasnat Abdullah said, ‘The discussions held with us by the higher authorities of the army. We think that is interference in political matters.’ In this context, he further said, ‘Politics will be decided by politicians—the course of political events or whatever is going on, the direction in which politics will go next, should be in the hands of politicians. So, we had to give my status yesterday because we are skeptical about that.’

Hasnat mentioned that the status he gave on Facebook on Thursday night contained everything about the discussions with the higher officials of the army. In that status, Hasnat Abdullah wrote, "A plan is underway to bring a new conspiracy called 'Refined Awami League'. This plan is completely Indian. This plan is being prepared keeping Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin and Taposh in mind. Stating that such a plan was presented to Hasnat Abdullah and two others at the cantonment on March 11, he wrote, "We were offered to accept this proposal in exchange for a seat deal. We were told that this proposal has already been made to several political parties. They have agreed to rehabilitate the Awami League on a conditional basis. Isn't it better to have several opposition parties including a weak Awami League than to have one opposition party?"

In response to the question of why he went to the military base, Hasnat Abdullah said, "You know that currently the army has been given magisterial power. Many of us have questions about the law and order situation. We were called to talk about these issues. A few days ago, you saw a statement by the army chief, which I personally or many of us, have talked about in the country that it has been considered as inappropriate in the political sphere. The way the head of the interim government has been addressed, the inclusive elections that have been hinted at, and the Awami League has been discussed in general, I have gone for it.’

In response to a question from journalists whether they are currently feeling a security risk, Hasnat Abdullah said, ‘Look, before August 5, we had a movement with the students and the public. There was an anti-fascist force, an agency. The government was against us, then we repeatedly said that the fight is ongoing, that fight is still ongoing. As long as the anti-fascist political parties remain united, I do not feel any security risk.’

Regarding the demand to ban the Awami League, Hasnat said, ‘After August 5, have you seen anywhere that the Awami League has felt remorse? They have not even admitted that they are carrying out a genocide. We want to say clearly from our place, Awami League must first ensure justice, it must ensure justice as a party. It must admit the crime, then there may be any other discussion, no discussion before that.’

The leader of the National Citizen Party further said, ‘We said after August 5 that the name, brand and ideology of Awami League are irrelevant. If there is any attempt here from a foreign conspiracy or a domestic conspiracy or agency, in that case, we students are committed (committed), those who have been tortured, oppressed, murdered, their families, no reform of the Awami League cannot be allowed.’