The authorities of a sweater factory at Ashulia union of Savar upazila in the capital, have announced closure for an indefinite period after dismissing its 63 workers.
The announcement was made on Sunday morning at "Fashionit Company Limited" located at Hamidullah Mansion in the Jamgara area of Ashulia.
Workers arriving at the factory in the morning found a notice with pictures announcing the dismissal of certain workers. Alongside it, another notice declared the indefinite closure of the factory.
According to the workers, the factory employs around 1,200 workers, and they were working even on Saturday night without any knowledge of the impending dismissals. It was only when they arrived at the factory in the morning that they saw the dismissal and closure notices.
The notice, signed by Md. Abdul Khaleque, Head of Administration and Human Resources of Fashionit Company, stated that the employment of some workers had been terminated as per Section 26 of the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006. Compensation and other dues as specified in the Act will be paid from 2:30 PM on Monday, upon submission of company ID cards.
Another notice addressed to all factory workers, employees, and officers stated that due to ongoing violence, illegal strikes, and the current situation in Ashulia industrial area, the factory would remain closed indefinitely for safety reasons until further notice.
The notice also mentioned that salaries and benefits would be paid on Monday via mobile banking.
Hridoy Mia, one of the dismissed workers, said, "We never participated in any labor movement, yet we don't understand why the management terminated us."
Khairul Mamun Mintu, Legal Secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Center, said, "The factory management published a list of 63 dismissed workers, but the reason for the dismissals was not mentioned in the notice."
He further stated, "Work continued at the factory until 9 pm on Saturday, and none of the workers knew about the closure or the dismissals. They were surprised to see the notice in the morning."
Meanwhile, production at other factories in the industrial area proceeded peacefully on Sunday under tight security. Workers entered the factories and joined work spontaneously in the morning, and no untoward incidents were reported until noon.
