‘Open factories, we’ll give protection’

The government has urged the readymade garment owners in the Ashulia industrial belt to resume operations promising them ‘all safety measures’.

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir made the appeal at a press briefing on Wednesday night.

“The law enforcers will enter any factory without the owners’ permission if there is any attempt to unleash violence,” he said after a meeting with the BGMEA at its Karwan Bazar office.

He said if there was any worker unrest at any factory, the ministers would hold talks with the agitators to take measures accordingly.

After the last month’s Rana Plaza collapse that killed over 1100 people, mostly workers employed at five RMG units it housed, unrest has been paralysing factories in the crucial industrial zone.

Fearing trouble the factories were closed but were later reopened on government’s assurance.

However, incidents of attacks and vandalism have not stopped in the industrial belt that hosts over 350 factories. On Wednesday, 10 factories were closed after acts of vandalism.

Minister Alamgir suspected involvement of locals in the unrest.

Labour Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, who attended the meeting, said they would sit with the RMG workers of Savar and Ashulia.

He alleged several political parties were out to destroy the garment sector after “failing to topple the government using Hifazat-e Islam”.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who was also present, said the government was looking for those responsible for the unrest.

He said a gazette notification would be issued over the formation of a wage board and requested the factory owners to give dearness allowance to the workers.

BGMEA President Atiqul Islam assured of accepting the wage board’s decision and asked the workers to return to work.