Seven jute-mill workers hospitalised on second day of indefinite hunger strike

Seven people have been hospitalised as workers of state-owned jute mills continue a hunger strike for a second day to press for a charter of 11 demands, including the payment of outstanding wages and implementation of the wage commission.

They were taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital after falling ill on Wednesday morning, said Star Jute Mill's CBA General Secretary Abdul Mannan Sheikh.

"Saline is being administered to around 10 to 12 others" he said.

It is being presumed that the workers fell ill due to sleeping on the road in the cold weather.

Workers from 12 of the 26 state-owned jute mills in Khulna, Rajshahi, Narsingdi and Chattogram are taking part in the hunger strike.

But the workers from the other mills did not take part in the programme due to a leadership crisis, according to protest leaders.

Their demands also include the cancellation of public-private ownership, allocation of funds for purchasing raw materials, payment of provident fund gratuity for retired workers and payment of gratuities to retired factory workers, among others.

On Tuesdy, workers of Crescent, Platinum, Khalishpur, Daulatpur and Star jute mills took the streets of Khulna's Khalishpur BIDC Road to enforce the hunger strike.