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Restive RMG at Ashulia

Local political elements, inept managers guilty

Refayet Ullah Mirdha
Chronic failure of mid-level management and influence of local politics are mainly responsible for frequent labour unrest at the city's outskirt Ashulia industrial belt, insiders say.
Industrialists blame inefficient handling of workers by the mid-level management as most of the incidents originate from bad relation-
ship between workers and mid-level officials.
Establishing supremacy in the industrial belt for grabbing more jhut (scrap clothing) by political musclemen is also responsible, they add.
Grabbing more jhut means more cash money. As a result, local influential people using the banner of different political parties try to grab more jhut. They sometimes use the senti-
ment of the garment workers to serve their own purpose.
Previously, jhut was a waste product of the factories, but now it has become a by-product for its usefulness. Jhut is now used for making dyed yarn and has become an exportable item.
The Ashulia industrial belt nowadays often flares into rage originated from the workers' unrest, which is not so frequent in other industrial belts like Narayanganj and Chittagong.
The latest incident that was originated from Ashulia-based Ha-Meem Group on Saturday turned the industrial belt into a batdeground.
The other major causes behind such unrest are location of almost all bigger garment units there, density of industrial units, more number of sweater factories, deaths of workers in road crashes and also rumours.
Sometimes it is very difficult to handle so many workers by a single management team. Most of the bigger units at Ashulia have more than 10,000 workers. The number in some factories even crosses 25,000, insiders inform.
Garment units in other areas including Narayanganj and Chittagong are not so big. Those are much smaller and located in a scattered manner.
Sweater factories are a major source of unrest because workers here work on piece rate basis meaning more production will bring more earning at month's end.
If any worker finds something wrong between the number of pieces and payment, they instigate fellow workers and bring out processions and damage the factories, industry people say.
"Comparatively, incidents of unrest at Ashulia are higher than other areas for density of factories. The area is a highly labour intensive one," commented a senior official of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) asking not to be named.
He said from Abdullahpur to Baipail, in a stretch of three kilometres, at least 250 factories are located where more than 2.5 lakh workers are employed.
"Bad political intention is also a major cause. Moreover, big factories of leaders of different trade bodies are also located in this area,” said the official who mainly deals with workers.
Amirul Haque Amin, head of the National Garment Workers' Federation, a workers' platform, said apart from management problem, inter-
nal political feud is also responsible.
Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, former president of BGMEA, also blames local political influence for frequent unrest. "Sometimes provocative statements from different quarters also initiate unrest. The most compliant factories are located at Ashulia, so any quarter can be benefited from the unrest in this area," he added.
During the devastating flood of 1998 when most parts of the country were inundated, the highland areas of Gazipur, Savar, Tongi, Maona and Ashulia did not sub-merge.
That led the industrial entrepreneurs to set up their production units in these highland areas so that floods cannot hamper or damage production.
Continuous adequate pressure of gas is also another cause for industrial density in the area. Insiders say transportation of goods is also easier in this area for good road communication and the international airport being very close to the factories.
In case of the Narayanganj -based factories, sometimes owners have to charter a helicopter for the international buyers to take them to the factories.
From an estimate by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, it could be known that 60 percent of the garment factories are located at Mirpur, Ashulia, Savar, Tongi and Maona.
The remaining 40 percent are located across the country including Narayanganj and Chittagong.