RMG leaders meet home minister, request security for workers, factories

The BGMEA has requested police protection to safeguard the lives of ready-made garment (RMG) sector employees and factories.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association leaders had called upon Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at his office in Dhaka today (1 November) to inform him about the RMG situation and to seek safety and security of the workers from vandalism.

Speaking to The Business Standard, former president of the BGMEA Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, MP, said, "We asked the government to protect the lives of our workers and our factories. This rampant destruction should not happen anymore."

He said it was the government's duty to take immediate steps to deal with this matter. 

During the ongoing protests by RMG workers seeking a hike in minimum wages, two workers lost their lives and many factories were damaged. 

The protest entered its ninth day today. 

Of the two dead, one died of smoke inhalation after the factory he was in was set on fire and the other is believed to have died of rubber bullet wounds, Shafiul said. 

"We don't want anyone else to lose their lives."

The BGMEA also said the new wage structure would be implemented from the first week of December and workers would receive their new wages from January. 

RMG workers demand that their minimum wage be increased from the existing Tk8,000 to Tk20,390 while the owners proposed to increase it to Tk10,400.