Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Siddiqur Rahman on Friday said that they would initiate a move to provide food support to the apparel factory workers. Siddiqur made the promise at a discussion arranged by the Bangladesh Textile Garment Workers’ Federation at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity after the labour federation had reiterated their four point demands that included food support, healthcare, housing, and education facilities for the workers and their family. Chaired by federation president Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, the discussion was also addressed by labour leaders Kazi Ruhul Amin, Rafiqul Islam Pathik, Abul Hossain, Lovely Yesmin, Babul Akter and Touhidur Rahman. The labour leaders rejected the proposed budget for 2017-18 fiscal, which was placed in the parliament on Thursday, for the lack of allocation for improving the welfare of working people of the country. Referring to the previous initiative to provide food support for the garment workers in 2008, the BGMEA president said: ‘We had started food ration but could not continue it due to the lack of workers’ response.’ If the workers would like to receive food support again, they would talk to the government in that regard, Siddiqur added.Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said that the government should make special budgetary allocation every year for the welfare of the workers.Eminent jurist Kamal Hossain said that the harassments of workers whenever they raised their voices for a fairer wage were never acceptable. Sramik Karmochari Oikya Parishad coordinator Wajedul Islam Khan said that the budget had failed to meet the expectations of the workers.
