The apparel apex body BGMEA sits tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss the plea for giving more time to its member factories for introducing workers’ biometric database service, sources said. The majority of the BGMEA member factories are yet to enroll the service, though the time was extended three times since December to April last, they added. In a circular issued on April 5, the BGMEA warned its members, saying it would temporarily stop providing services including issuance of utilisation declaration to its members failing to enroll the system within the April 30 deadline. “We have already stopped providing services since May 01 to those who are yet to register the system of introducing workers’ biometric database,” Mohammed Nasir, vice president of the BGMEA, said. The issue would be discussed in the special board meeting to be held Thursday to decide whether more time would be given, Mr Nasir said, adding they received request from a good number of its members. On October 17 last, the BGMEA decided to start the database preparation afresh, although it was taken more than two and half years back, sources said. Till date, a total of 870 BGMEA members have registered their names with the trade body to introduce the service. The database would preserve basic information about a worker, including his or her identification, family details, record about service details, including factory and employer, dates of his or her joining or leaving the job and its reasons and also details of his/her skill. The database is also important for successful implementation and use of a proposed fund for all export-oriented sectors as the fund would be collected at a rate of 0.03 per cent from each export receipt, according to a BGMEA circular.
