Hunger strikes of Tuba Group, demanding their overdue salaries, have provided Laili Begum, the group owner’s mother-in-law who they have confined, with regular meals.
Laili, whose daughter is married to Tuba Group Chairman Delwar Hossain, has been staying at the factory, housed in the commercial building in Badda called Hossain Market, for the last five days with the workers.
Although she refuses to say whether she is being held hostage, the workers appear to have confined her to a room on the ninth floor.
The 65-year-old woman, who has no affiliation with her son-in-law’s business, spent her Eid with the workers too.
Her daughter, Tuba Group Chairman Mahmuda Akhter Mita, who lives nearby, did not visit her even once.
bdnews24.com found her sitting on the floor of the ninth-floor packaging room. On the seventh floor, some of the workers were lying on the finishing tables, having collapsed from the hunger strike. They were being given IV saline.
Laili Begum was surrounded by workers as she spoke. She did not voice any complaints, and workers too, claimed that ‘Laili auntie’ was there on her own volition.
Laili has been taking the meals the workers have been able to provide her with. She is sleeping on that floor as well, wearing clothes provided by the workers.
“I don’t own this business. But I came here thinking about the workers. Badda Police Station OC MA Jalil brought me here,” she said.
“I asked a local businessman named Khalek for a loan to pay the workers’ salaries. He promised the money but did not deliver,” she added.
“Badda Police Station OC and the owner’s mother-in-law assured us on Friday that they would pay up our salaries. But they betrayed us.
“Then we started protesting, and Laili auntie did not want to leave either,” a sewing operator named Apon said.
Sewing department worker Ruma has been looking after Laili.
“We’re arranging regular meals for auntie. She speaks with her family on the phone. Her health looks fine. In the morning she had rice with chicken,” Ruma said.
Workers said her daughter Mita stayed in her own house in Merul Badda. They said Mita was the elder of Laili’s two children. The younger, a son, lives in USA.
Laili was quiet when asked whether the workers were threatening her.
“I have high blood pressure and diabetes. They’re helping me walk after meals,” she said.
Over 1,500 workers of the five factories owned by the group had been protesting for some time for their salaries for the months of May, June and July and Eid bonuses.
From Monday evening the protests turned into hunger strike.
Sewing operator Abu Hanif said there were three factories in the building, Tuba Textile, Tayeb Design and Mita Design. Tuba Fashions and Bukshan Garments, also owned by the group, are housed next door in Fuji Tower.
“They gave us three dates to give us salaries, but failed. But Mita Apa has paid the salaries in Tuba Garments,” he said.
A police vehicle has been stationed under the building for the last few days. A police team is on alert and stationed on the ground floor.
Badda Police Station OC MA Jalil said, “We’re trying our best to control the situation. We’re talking to BGMEA and the workers to stop their hunger strike.”
Source: Bd news24
