A group of readymade garment workers have kept the Managing Director of Tuba Group, Delwar Hossain, confined to his office at the capital’s Badda demanding wage and bonuses ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.
Tazreen Fashions Ltd, which was engulfed by a deadly fire on Nov 24 last year killing over 100 workers, was a unit of Hossain’s Tuba Group.
DMP Gulshan zone Assistant Commissioner Md Nur Alam on Saturday night told bdnews24.com several hundred workers from the different factories of the group laid the siege to one of Hossain’s offices at Badda’s Hossain market since 9am in the morning.
Tuba Group owns at least five readymade garment factories employing thousands of workers.
Hossain told police that there were attempts to reach an understanding with the workers, but he won’t be able to pay the wages before Eid.
The workers have rejected to withdraw the siege as the owner failed to commit to pay wage and bonus before the festival, said Nur Alam.
When contacted around 10 pm, Nur Alam said the company authorities were negotiating with the workers, but Hossain was still confined in his office.
Earlier in the evening, Tazreen Fashions owner Hossain had told bdnews24.com over phone that workers had confined him to his office.
“I’m in danger. I cannot talk right now,” he said.
Gulshan zone Deputy Commissioner Lutful Kabir told bdnews24.com that thousands of workers are yet to be paid three months salaries and bonuses.
“They have been demanding their outstanding wages for quite sometime. But the owners did not pay any heed,” Kabir said.
Meanwhile, BGMEA President Atiqul Islam when contacted by bdnews24.com to know whether they were taking any steps to clear the dues of the workers, he said, “I spoke with him [Delwar Hossain] in the evening. I asked him to pay all the dues of the workers. I also told him to clear the pays and perks by selling his properties like land if necessary.”
“We want the workers to get their dues,” said Islam.
He, however, said the BGMEA was unable to help at the time as it had no fund to tackle such situation.
According to the Tuba Groups’ website, the group owns 13 companies that include: Tuba Textile Mills Limited, Tuba Fashion Limited, Tuba Garments Limited, Taif Design Limited, Mita Design Limited, Tazreen Fashion Limited, Bughshan Garments (pvt) Limited, R L Tex Limited, Tuba Embroidery Limited, Tuba Apparels Limited, Tuba Printing Limited, Taif Printing Limited, and Vogue Ecstasy.
Source: bdnews24
