Workers demonstrate in Narsingdi demanding arrears

Workers demonstrated in Narsingdi demanding their overdue salary and allowances. Yesterday, Thursday (May 8), from the morning, workers of Hamid Fabrics Limited staged a program in front of the mill in the Shilmandi area of Sadar upazila to realize their salary and allowances. Later, at 11:00 am, several hundred workers took position on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway to press home their demands. The workers stated that 1400 workers of Hamid Fabrics Limited are not receiving their wages. Among them, workers have not received salaries for anywhere from 6 to more than 14 months.

Before Eid in the last Ramadan, workers took to the streets demanding overdue salaries and allowances. At that time, with the intervention of the army, the factory authority announced the acceptance of the workers' demands. But the workers did not get any benefit from this. The authority did not pay anyone any salary. A worker named Nazrul said, We have not been getting paid for a long time. It is difficult to run a family with dependents. The amount of dues at shops is increasing, we cannot pay it off. That is why we have taken to the streets demanding wages.

Md. Nazrul Islam, deputy manager of Hamid Fabrics Limited, said, I have not received my salary for the last 14 months. My daughter died during Ramadan, yet I could not do anything for her. I am currently owed ten and a half lakh taka. We want everyone's dues to be settled. In the afternoon, Abdullah Al Mahin, managing director of Hamid Fabrics Limited, came to the scene. He left the scene in the face of the workers' anger.

Later, senior administration officials including Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rashed Hossain Chowdhury, District Superintendent of Police Abdul Hannan, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Assistant Inspector General Tawhidul Haque Bhuiyan, and Assistant Commissioner Mehedi Hasan Patwary sat in discussions with the workers and the authority. Later, the factory authority promised to pay 3 months' salary and one Eid bonus before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.

Mir Azharul Islam, CEO of Hamid Fabrics Limited, said, Due to gas and electricity problems, our factory's production is facing issues. Because of this, there is a delay in paying the workers' salaries. Due to not receiving a payment, we could not pay the salaries as per the previous assurance. Today, discussions have been held with the administration and the workers. We will pay the salaries in phases.