With holy festival of Eid-ul Azha approaching, the Bangladesh Government has reportedly established a temporary control room in capital Dhaka to deal with any labour unrest in the apparel industry that may follow in case there are cases of non-payment of salary or festival bonus by the factory owners.
Open from 9 in the morning to 7 in evening everyday till August 21, this temporary control room is reportedly set up at Dhaka district office of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) at Purana Paltan.
“To take necessary steps instantly to check any possible untoward incidents in the readymade garment (RMG) sector, we have set up a control room…We are monitoring the situation round the clock. There is no possibility of labour unrest this time. Still, we have been on alert,” reportedly underlined DIFE ABM Golam Parvez while speaking to the media.
It may be mentioned here that in prior years, the RMG sector has witnessed workers’ unrest over payment of bonus and salary, especially before Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Azha.
Considering the sensitivity of the issue, the apex garment manufacturers’ body the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exports Association (BGMEA) has reportedly undertaken security measures in and around the major apparel manufacturing hubs in and around Dhaka to prevent any untoward incident.