Irregular BADC workers demand job regularisation

Irregular workers of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) staged a demonstration today (24 May) in front of its Motijheel head office to press home their nine-point demand, including regularisation of their jobs.

Hundreds of workers from at the BADC offices across the country, voiced frustration over what they describe as years of exploitation and disregard. 

The protest ended in the submission of a memorandum to BADC Chairman Ruhul Amin Khan, but leaders say no concrete assurances were given.

"We've been working in seed production for over two decades," said Alam Hossain, one of the protestors. "There are more than 1,500 of us, yet we continue to face oppression, discrimination, and insecurity."

Their key demands include enforcement of the Agricultural Policy 2017—issued by the agriculture ministry—regularisation of irregular workers, fair wages, proper working hours with overtime compensation, and an end to arbitrary dismissals. 

Protestors are also calling for gender-inclusive benefits such as four months of paid maternity leave and the abolition of exploitative systems like seasonal and manual labour hiring.

Rajan Ahmed, a worker who comes from Sylhet to join the protest, noted the contradiction between the government's own policy and the workers' continued exclusion. "The Agricultural Farm Workers Recruitment and Control Policy 2017 has provisions for regularising us. While other institutions have followed through, BADC has not acted in eight years," he said.

Meanwhile, during this time, the ministry has appointed workers in the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Agricultural Research Institute, Jute Research Institute, and other institutions.

According to the demonstrators, irregular workers are the backbone of BADC operations, performing vital roles both in the fields and in administrative functions. Yet they are labeled as "seasonal" and denied benefits, fair pay, and basic dignity.

A 10-member delegation led by movement coordinator Junaid met with the BADC chairman and submit a memorandum. After that Junaid said "The chairman said he'll speak with the ministry but gave us no clear commitment." 

"We have no choice but to continue our movement indefinitely. All workers will observe strike until our demands are met," he warned.