All RMG factories to be open from today: Industries adviser

The industries adviser to the interim government, Adilur Rahman Khan, has warned that anyone attempting to shut down factories to destabilise the government and harm the economy will be remembered.

"The government will implement special measures to tackle the labour unrest in ready-made garment (RMG) factories," said Adilur, while speaking at a views exchange meeting on "Ongoing crisis in RMG factories and potential solutions" held at BGMEA Building in Uttara on Saturday.

The meeting also unanimously decided that all garment factories in the country will be open from today (Sunday).

However, for the sake of the country and its industries, and to protect jobs, if the workers in a  particular factory do not work, leave the factory without working, or create chaos in the factory, only then the owner of that factory can take steps according to the labour Act 13 (1) or no work no pay basis.

BGMEA president Khandaker Rafiqul Islam presided over the view-exchange meeting with three of the advisers of the interim government - Industry adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Fisheries and Livestock adviser Farida Akhtar and Labor and Employment adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Labor Secretary A HM Safiquzzaman, Major General Moin Khan, NDC, PAC, GOC, Ninth Infantry Division, head of  Industrial  Police Sigat Ullah, BKMEA President, Past Presidents of BGMEA, Board of Directors members of BGMEA and general members of BGMEA participated in the event.

President of National Garments Workers Federation Amirul Haque Amin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Industries Federation Babul Akhtar, President of Garments Workers Trade Union Center Montu Ghosh, President of Garments Sramik Oikya Forum Mosrefa Mishu and other leaders of various labor organizations participated in the views-exchange meeting on behalf of the workers.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the ongoing labor situation in the garment sector and said that if this situation continues in the industry, there is a real risk of disruption in the main source of foreign exchange earnings.

In the meeting, the advisers of the interim government called for the opening of all garment factories from tomorrow.

They assured security and said that the government will take special measures if there is unrest in any factory.