The government on Thursday asked the export-oriented apparel factory owners to pay wages and festival allowance to their workers before the Eid-ul-Fitr to avoid any ‘untoward situations’ in the industrial belts in Dhaka and Chittagong. The directive came in a home ministry meeting with the business community leaders including those from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association to maintain order during the Eid, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims. The RMG leaders were requested to ensure that the workers get the festival allowance by June 30, said officials, who attended the meeting that also reviewed law and order situation ahead of Eid.The meeting asked the law enforcement agencies to enhance surveillance over the labour-intensive Ashulia zone on the outskirt of Dhaka city in particular to preempt any possible labour unrest over non-payment of wages and allowance before the Eid. ‘All the readymade garments factory owners have been requested to clear monthly wages and festival allowance of workers before the Eid so that they could celebrate the festival with their relatives in their village home happily,’ home affairs minister Asaduzzaman Khan told a press briefing after presiding over the meeting at the secretariat. He said all banks would be requested to keep their branches open in the industrial belts on July 2, 3 and 4 as the public offices would virtually remain closed for nine days from July 1 on the occasion of the Eid. The RMG factory managements were also asked to declare a staggered vacation for their workers and employees starting from July 2 to check rush of passengers on highways, trains and waterways on the eve of the festival. The meeting noted that a few RMG factories might not be able to clear wages and festival allowance before the Eid as those were suffering from fund crisis, said an official who attended the meeting. The home secretary, heads of the law enforcement agencies including police and Rapid Action Battalion and intelligence officials, among others, attended the meeting ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr. There are over 5,800 apparel factories, mostly in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong, which employ over 40 lakh workers, mostly women. The home minister said additional measures were being taken to ensure security in Dhaka and other areas during the Eid.The government would deploy paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh personnel besides police, RAB and ansars if necessary to maintain order, he said.Asaduzzaman said effective steps would be taken to remove traffic congestions in and around the city so that home goers could reach their destinations smoothly.
