Banned AL men fuelling garment unrest: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has claimed that the ongoing garment workers’ protests are not being led by workers but by ousted authoritarian forces, alleging that certain groups are instigating unrest in the sector.

Speaking at a meeting at the Secretariat on Monday morning (November 2), the Home Minister said those behind the protests had already been identified. He claimed that the current situation was not a workers’ movement.

Salahuddin said, the meeting reviewed and analysed developments over the past few days. The government had been working on the issue of wage increases under the existing rule of revising workers’ wages every three years, he added.

However, workers continued their protests even after the government formed a new wage board on Sunday (November 1).

The Home Minister said the government would take strict action against those creating instability in the name of workers’ protests. Describing the government as worker-friendly, he said it had sought cooperation from factory owners.

He added that the labour organisations involved in the unrest would be identified. Those creating instability were not workers, he claimed.

Salahuddin further alleged that efforts were being made from across the border to create instability in the country. He said law enforcement agencies had been instructed to take strict measures to control the situation.