Staff Reporter:
Laid-off workers of the Al-Muslim Group staged a protest in front of a garment factory in the Ulail area of Savar municipality on Saturday, demanding payment of outstanding dues and reinstatement to their jobs.
From Saturday morning (June 6), hundreds of agitated workers gathered in front of the “AKM Knitwear Limited” factory of Al-Muslim Group. At one stage, they blocked the Dhaka-bound service lane of the Dhaka–Aricha Highway for around one and a half hours, causing traffic disruption and severe congestion.
To maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident, additional police forces were deployed in the factory area. An armored police vehicle (APC) and a water cannon were kept on standby in front of the main gate of the factory.
Earlier, on Friday night, factory authorities reportedly called several local journalists to their office and informed them about the decision to lay off workers.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the dismissed workers began gathering in front of the factory at around 8:00 AM on Saturday. After receiving no positive response from the authorities, they took position on the Dhaka-bound service lane of the highway, bringing traffic to a halt on that section and creating severe congestion.
Later, Industrial Police and local police intervened and persuaded the workers to leave the highway, restoring normal traffic flow after nearly two hours.
Several protesting workers alleged that they were laid off without prior notice. They also claimed that their legitimate dues have not been fully paid. “In this time of rising living costs, sudden job loss has left us and our families in extreme distress. We demand reinstatement or full settlement of all dues as per law,” they said.
Rahima Akter, an operator who had been working at the factory since 2017, said she was suddenly terminated without notice. “We are struggling with house rent, children’s education and daily expenses. Although regulations require three months’ salary as compensation, I was given only one month’s payment,” she said.
Afanur, a sewing operator who had worked at the factory for 10 years, said he was informed of his termination via mobile message. When he reported to work on Saturday morning, he was denied entry into the factory.
Regarding the matter, Deputy General Manager (Administration) of Al-Muslim Group, Md. Abu Raihan, said the workers were laid off under Section 20 of the Labour Act due to a business slowdown and declining export orders. He claimed that all dues were paid according to company policy.
“If any worker still has pending dues, they can contact us and we will verify and settle the payments accordingly,” he added.
Notably, Al-Muslim Group, one of the country’s leading garment manufacturers, has laid off a total of 1,868 workers from three of its factories. Among them, 1,286 workers are from AKM Knitwear Limited in Ulail, Savar; 529 from Pacific Blue Jeans Wear in Radio Colony area; and 53 from Al-Muslim Apparels in Ashulia.
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