Workers from the sweater factory, Magpie Knitwear protested outside the home of Majumder Arifur Rahman, the company’s managing director, demanding unpaid pay and the reopening of the factory.
The protest is said to have started in Uttara, Dhaka, and went on all day, coming amidst the owner’s active campaigning for a leadership position within the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Workers claimed that the factory announced the closure on 4th January without paying four months due.
Although they were due four months’ salary, the workers only received one month’s payment from the Magpie Group, according to BGMEA officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity in media. The presence of a large number of workers at the protest site was confirmed by Uttara West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Hasan at 8pm Saturday.
The officer added that similar protests have occurred previously and said BGMEA is trying to intervene and resolve the issue.
Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA, acknowledged the company’s previous problems with worker protests but said he didn’t know much about the present circumstances. He gave the assurance that once the specifics were clear, BGMEA would make an effort to find a solution.
