Around 700 workers employed with A-One BD staged a sit-in protest for the second consecutive day in front of the Ashulia Press Club to press home their demand for 10 months’ arrears.
They are reportedly protesting since Tuesday morning.
According to media reports, which quoted the protesting garment workers, 1,100 garment workers employed by A-One BD, which is owned by an Italian national, are reportedly facing hardships due to lack of income since last 10 months.
Even though the factory (located in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone or DEPZ) was closed in March, workers’ wages have not been paid since January claimed the protesting workers adding despite promises by DEPZ officials of resolving the issue and clearing the dues, nothing much has materialised which has now forced them to organise various sit-in protests.
The workers further reportedly claimed that most recently, the DEPZ officials assured to pay the arrears by auctioning off the factory’s equipment but later maintained the process to auction was suspended following a High Court stay order.
Meanwhile, when contacted by the media, General Manager of the DEPZ, Abdus Subhan reportedly stated that two months salaries to most of the workers have been paid and went on to add workers would get salaries for three and a half months as arrears.
The rest of the amount was to be paid by auctioning the factory’s equipment, Abdus Subhan further added.