Tuba owner gets bail

The High Court has granted bail to Tuba Group Managing Director Delwar Hossain in a case filed over the devastating fire at Tazreen Fashions in 2012.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 August 2014, 06:19 AM
Updated : 1 August 2014, 12:08 PM

Tazreen Fashions is part of the Tuba group.

The bench of Justices Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Nazrul Islam Talukder granted the bail on July 24, but it became known on Thursday, even as a hunger strike by workers of several Tuba Group garment factories was in progress.

The workers were agitating for payment of unpaid salary and allowances.

State counsels, however, could not confirm if the copy of the court order had been issued.

Deputy Attorney General Shafiul Bashar Bhandary told bdnews24.com on Friday: “The court has granted two-month bail to Delwar in the Tazreen fire case issuing a rule that asked why he won’t be given permanent bail.”

Asked whether Hossain is going to be released, he said: “He won’t be freed without a written order. I can’t confirm if the written order has been issued or not though the bail was granted on July 24.

File Photo

State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu on Thursday said Hossain got bail and might be released by Sunday or Monday.
At least 112 workers died and more than 250 others were injured in the Tazreen Fashions fire on Nov 24, 2012.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 13 people including Tazreen Managing Hossain and his wife and company Chairman Mahmuda Akter in Dec 2012.
They were charged with homicide and blamed for negligence of workers safety.
Hossain earlier sought bail from the High Court but was denied though his wife was released on bail.
Around 1,600 workers of Tuba’s five factories at Dhaka's Badda have been agitating, asking for payment of May, June and July salaries, overtime dues and allowances.
The workers set several deadlines for to meeting their demands and finally began their fast-unto-death from Monday night, just hours before Eid, after readymade garment factory owners’ association BGMEA failed to arrange the payments.
Workers allege that the factory management stopped payment of their wages and allowances to press release of Hossain.
In a latest development, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) said Tuba factory workers might get a part of their dues within a week.
Association acting President SM Mannan Kochi said on Thursday the problems would be resolved if Tuba’s owner Delwar was released on bail.