Twenty-nine eminent citizens came up on Wednesday with a joint statement to express their solidarity with the demands of the workers of Swan Garments and Swan Jeans for getting their wages and festival bonus before Eid-ul-Fitr. The 29 citizens are Prof Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, eminent journalist and cultural activist Kamal Lohani, National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports convener Engr Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah, Language Movement veteran Col (rtd) SD Ahmed, Dr Shafiuddin Ahmed, Prof MM Akash, AN Rasheda, Prof Ashrafuzzaman Selim, Prof Dr Mohammad Abu Sayeed, Prof Azizur Rahman, Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Emtiaz Mahmud, Prof Samina Lutfa, Zubaida Nasreen Kona, Dr Kazi Roqibul Islam, Engr Nimai Ganguly, Dr Tanuz Kanti Dey, Avinu Kibria Islam, Altaf Parvez, Pavel Partha, Parvez Alam, Dr Salma Chowdhury, Dr Moyna Talukdar, MA Aziz Miah, Maria Hossain, Sheikh Abdus Salam, Rebeka Sultana, Anurag Chakma, Naima Nigar, and Mohammad Nuruzzaman. Workers of Swan Garments (pvt) Ltd and Swan Jeans Ltd have been demonstrating since July 12, demanding payment of all outstanding wages of three months from April to June before Eid-ul-Fitr. Their calls are likely to fall on deaf ears as the factories suspended their operations on April 10. The owner, a Hong Kong national, fled the country three days later.
