Beximco workers block highway again for due October salaries

Workers of Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur once again blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar Highway today (17 November), demanding their due October salaries. 

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said the ongoing labour unrest at Beximco would be resolved once an administrator assumes full control, adds UNB. 

"We will soon appoint an administrator for Beximco," he said, adding that the company has a monthly salary and allowance obligation of Tk82 crore. 

The secretary revealed that several advisers held a meeting on Sunday at the office of the chief adviser to address the issue, and he had received directives from there.

Shafiquzzaman mentioned that he, along with the finance and commerce advisers, would convene another meeting to find a resolution. 

He also said he had discussed the matter with the Bangladesh Bank governor on Saturday, during which assurances were given that the situation would improve once an administrator took charge.

An executive director of Bangladesh Bank has already been appointed as the administrator, he noted, adding, "The problem will be addressed once the takeover is complete." 

As of 4pm, the blockade remained in place, bringing traffic to a complete halt and causing significant traffic congestion on both sides of the highway. 

Despite intervention by the Industrial Police and local authorities, the protesting workers refused to leave the highway until their salaries were paid. 

"The workers started blocking the road at 9am today (Sunday). We are trying to convince them to clear the road," said Saiful Islam, officer-in-charge of Kashimpur Police Station. 

Azizul, one of the protesting workers, said, "For months now, we've had to protest for our wages. If we were paid on time, there would be no need for this. Let them pay us, and we'll get back to work." 

Beximco Industrial Park, owned by former Awami League MP Salman F Rahman, houses multiple factories, including garment manufacturing units, and employs nearly 40,000 workers, staff, and officials. 

According to police and workers, salaries at the industrial park were typically paid between the 7th and 10th of each month. However, delays began following Salman's arrest after the ousting of the Awami League government and the freezing of his bank accounts. 

The protests initially began on Thursday and escalated into a ten-hour highway blockade on November 16. 

Md Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2, said on Sunday that Beximco authorities have pledged to pay October's salaries by the end of the day. 

Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman added that while Beximco Pharmaceuticals remains profitable, the company's textile division is facing financial distress. 

Addressing the unrest, he mentioned that the Bangladesh Army and Industrial Police are working to restore calm. "We will address the situation collaboratively," he said. 

He further emphasized the government's strict stance against instigators of unrest, disclosing that 128 individuals, including both owners and workers, have been arrested. "We are taking tough steps and decisive action," he affirmed. 

Shafiquzzaman acknowledged that while many of the workers' demands are logical, some are irrational. He alleged that a third party is working to destabilize the labour sector. 

He also mentioned that a new labour law, aligned with international standards, is being drafted and is expected to be finalized by March next year.