& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Unpaid workers block CEPZ entrance

Staff Correspondent, ctg
Several hundred workers of a garment factory yesterday blockaded the main entrance of Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), demanding payment of arrears.
The workers of Peninsula Garments Ltd, located in Sector 1 of CEPZ, gathered in the area around 10am and continued their demonstration for almost two hours.
MA Mannan, a member of parliament from Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, is the chairman of Peninsula Garments Ltd, which is a concern of Sunman Group of Companies.
While speaking with The Daily Star, EPZ Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nurul Huda said the factory had been closed nine months ago and one month's salary, bonus and others benefits worth Tk 10 crore of around 1,500 workers have remained unpaid.
The workers gathered in CEPZ area yesterday morning as the factory authorities had assured around seven hundred workers of paying off their dues, but none received any payment, the OC added.
At around 10am, police and different
government bodies including Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) held a meeting with the factory's Managing Director Belayet Hossain, who assured that the arrears will be cleared by February 28.
The agitating workers later brought out a procession and marched for about 11 kilometres towards Chattogram Press Club in Kotwali area.
A number of workers said some of them have already found new jobs in other factories, but most others are still unemployed.
Many of them had to take leave of absence from their current jobs so they could come to CEPZ for collecting their dues, while many others came from different districts including Barishal, Rangpur, Copalganj and Dhaka -where they had to relocate to after the factory was closed.
Shahinur Khatun, with her 6-month-old daughter in her arms, said she worked at the factory for seven years. "1 came from Dhaka since they had promised us to pay off all our money. But now they have delayed the date again. This is the third time this has happened. Najma Akhter, who worked at the factory for 20 years and came to CEPZ from Barishal, said, "I found the factory closed after the Eid holidays. Our salaries of a month and 13 days, bonuses and other benefits are still due."
Contacted, BEPZA General Manager Khurshed Alam said the factory authorities will not be able to get away without paying off the arrears of the workers. "In similar situations before, factory owners had to pay off all arrears. It will be done this time too. We will take legal action if they [Peninsula Garments Ltd| don't keep their promise."