Beximco labour unrest to end if administrator takes control: Labour secretary

The ongoing labour unrest at Beximco industrial group will be resolved once an administrator takes full control over the group, Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said today (17 November)

"We will soon appoint an administrator at Beximco," he told a press conference at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The press conference was arranged to brief journalists about the activities of the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Labour and Employment Ministry during the 100 days of the interim government.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan was present at the conference, who was earlier in the charge of the Labour and Employment Ministry.

As attention was drawn that the workers of Beximco industrial park blocked Chandra-Nabinagar highway for the second day today demanding their salaries and arrears, the secretary said Beximco is to pay Tk82 crore for salaries and allowances every month.

Several advisers sat in a meeting today in the office of the chief adviser over the issue and he was given instructions from the meeting, he said.

Shafiquzzaman said they, including the finance adviser, the commerce adviser and he would sit again in a meeting to discuss how it could be resolved.

The secretary said that he had discussions with the Bangladesh Bank governor on Saturday, during which assurances were given that the issue would be resolved once an administrator assumes full control.

He said that an executive director of Bangladesh Bank has already been appointed as the administrator. "The problem will be addressed once the takeover is complete," he said.

He mentioned that while Beximco Pharmaceuticals remains profitable, the company's textile division has become financially distressed.

Regarding the sudden labour unrest, the secretary said that the Bangladesh Army and Industrial Police are working to restore calm. 

"We will address the situation collaboratively," he added.

Highlighting the government's firm stance against those instigating unrest, he stated that 128 people, including both owners and workers, have been arrested. "We are taking tough steps and decisive action," he affirmed.

Shafiquzzaman said many demands of the agitating workers are logical, while many other demands are irrational. 

"The third party is working to destabilize the labour sector," he said.

The labour secretary said a new labour law would be made by next March as the process continues to upgrade the new law to international standards.