Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader Saturday urged the readymade garment factory owners not to terminate any worker amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. “I do believe the RMG-factory owners will set an example of humanity. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government remains beside you. Stand by the RMG workers and keep your pledges. Do not terminate any worker,” he said at a virtual press conference on the contemporary affairs from his official residence in Dhaka. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, reminded that before reopening the RMG factories, the owners had pledged that they would not terminate any worker or go for layoff in any factory. “They (owners) pledged that they would run their factories engaging the workers staying in the capital and would provide a certain portion of salaries to the RMG workers who are staying in different districts. They would discourage workers to return to Dhaka,” he said. But, the road transport and bridges minister said, the reality is that huge workers are returning to the capital from different areas every day as they have been asked to join their work. “On Friday, layoff was announced in a factory in Gazipur. Workers were terminated but it wasn’t supposed to happen,” he regreted. Quader said the government has taken various measures, including announcement of stimulus packages, to keep the RMG export orders effective amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already talked to the heads of government of different countries over phone to this end. He said: “The government remains beside the RMG- factory owners and we hope that the owners will stand by the workers.” The AL general secretary said the coronavirus- testing capacity of the government has increased, and urged people to communicate with the authorities concerned using helpline or hotlines if they have the symptoms of COVID-19. He said the prime minister is monitoring the country’s coronavirus situation round the clock and giving necessary instructions in this regard. “Keep trust in her (the premier)…of course, we will win in the fight against coronavirus,” he added. Quader said several members of Bangladesh Police, who have been fighting coronavirus from the frontlines, have already died of COVID-19. He prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of those who died of COVID-19 and conveyed sympathy to their families, and sought early recovery of the COVID-19 patients. The minister said a doctor, one health worker, a journalist and a banker also died of COVID-19. He expressed gratitude to those who have been working from the frontlines to fight the coronavirus – the doctors, nurses, health workers, field-level government officials, army personnel, cops, media personnel and emergency service providers.
