N’ganj garments factories operate normally amid tight security

NARAYANGANJ, Nov 15:  Work at garments factories across Narayanganj remained normal on Sunday, with workers reporting to their workplaces as usual amid heightened security following last week's labour unrest.

Workers at around 1,500 garment factories in different parts of the district, including Shibu Market, Katherpul, BSCIC Industrial Estate, Adamjee EPZ, Sonargaon, Rupganj, Fatullah and Bandar, joined work from the morning.

Following the protests last week, law-enforcement agencies stepped up security measures and intelligence surveillance. Seven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and four Ansar battalions have been deployed in the district.

Members of district police, industrial police and SRB-11 are also working round the clock to maintain normalcy. No garments factory in the district has announced a shutdown since the unrest. Leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate organisations have also taken positions at different points.

Workers said they wanted the implementation of fair wages as soon as possible. They hoped that representatives of workers, factory owners and the government would reach an agreement through discussions to ensure fair wages.

Shipon Chowdhury, Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in Narayanganj, said no factory in the district had been closed under Section 13(Ka) of the Bangladesh Labour Act.

"All factories are operational, workers have joined their workplaces and the situation is peaceful," he said.

Lt Col Mirza Mohammad Arafat, Commander of the 62 BGB Narayanganj Battalion, said law-enforcement agencies had jointly identified areas where unrest had occurred and increased surveillance there through coordinated efforts.

"Seven platoons of BGB have been deployed. The situation remains normal so far," he said.

Abdullah Al Mahmud, superintendent of police of Industrial Police-4, said around 600,000 workers, both men and women, were employed at 1,680 garments factories in Narayanganj.

"Except for one or two isolated incidents, the situation remains normal. The sincerity of both factory owners and workers has helped maintain this situation," he said, adding that there was no security concern in the district.

Additional Superintendent of Police Tarek Al Mehedi said the situation in Narayanganj was now much calmer than in some other areas where labour unrest had been reported.

A total of 575 police members have been deployed for security in the district, he said. As Narayanganj police had a shortage of personnel, additional members were brought in from Munshiganj, Narsingdi and Kishoreganj districts to help contain the labour unrest.