Govt must take tough stance to curb unrest in garment sector: Jamaat ameer

Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said the government must take a tough stance to curb unrest in the garment sector amid continued protests.

In a post on his Facebook page on Monday morning, the Jamaat ameer said unrest in the garment sector was continuing, with worrying incidents of vandalism and arson reported at industrial establishments in different places.

“Neither owners nor workers can establish their rights by destroying industrial establishments. We believe no worker would be involved in such activities,” he wrote.

He further said it appeared that conspirators and opportunists were inciting the situation in an attempt to destroy the garment industry.

“The government must take a tough stance on this matter,” he added.

His remarks came as labour unrest continued to disrupt garment manufacturing hubs across the country. On Monday, hundreds of garment workers from several factories blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Palli Bidyut area of Gazipur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka and the fulfilment of several other demands.

The latest protests followed widespread labour unrest on Sunday, which disrupted production at hundreds of factories.

Amid the ongoing protests over wages, the government on Sunday formed a new wage board to determine the minimum wages of garment workers.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the formation of the six-member board through two separate notifications appointing representatives of employers, workers and neutral parties to review the existing wage structure and recommend a new minimum wage.

The notifications instructed the chairman of the Minimum Wage Board to initiate the process of determining the minimum wage for garment workers in consultation with representatives of employers, workers and neutral members.