The government on Wednesday formed a special monitoring committee, led by an additional secretary of the Labour and Employment Ministry, to oversee the labour issues including payment of monthly salaries and festival allowances of the workers ahead of Eid-UlFitrThe committee was formed at a coordination meeting of the Home Ministry on law and order situation held at the Ministry conference room with State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the chair.After the meeting, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the reporters at a briefing that, according to the decision of the meeting, the garment workers will go on Eid holidays in phases from July 14 to avoid heavy pressure of vehicles on highways ahead of the upcoming Eid-Ul-Fitr.The State Minister said that thousands of workers will leave Dhaka and its adjoining districts before Eid for their village homes to celebrate the festival which will create severe traffic congestion on the highways.To avert such untoward situation,we have requested the factory ownersof special industrial belt in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong to allow Eid holidays to their workersfrom July 14 in phases.The leaders and representatives of BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMEA attended the meeting and agreed to start their factory holiday in phases. They would comply with the Wednesday’s meeting decision, the State Minister said.He added that the factory owners were also asked to give monthly salaries and festival allowances by July 10. The special monitoring committee, led by an Additional Secretary of Labour Ministry, will help the factory owners so that no unpleasant incident occurs if any factory owner fails to pay salaries and Eidbonus.”Industrial police have been performing their duties alongside the other law enforcing agencies to avert any unpleasant incident in industrial belt,” he said.He also informed that all out preparations have been taken to ensure safety of the passengers on highways.District police will cooperate with Highway police alongside other law enforcing agencies, including RAB and BGB. If necessary RAB helicopters will hover on the highways to monitor the situation, Kamal said.No unfit river transport will be allowed to run on riverways to avoid accident. The Shipping Ministry will ensure it, he said.
