Outsiders Involved In Workers’ Unrest: Adviser

Local government, rural development and cooperatives Adviser AF Hasan Arif has said that those who are involved in workers’ unrest in Savar, Ashulia and other places in Bangladesh are mostly outsiders.

“We’ll take strict action to protect the economy and the workers,” he warned on Wednesday (September 4) after an emergency meeting on RMG workers’ unrest.

“A real worker won’t burn his factory because his livelihood lies there. It was done by outsiders,” he said. "Thwart the attackers, we’ll be with you. Those posing as workers are so well blended that it’s becoming difficult to segregate them.”

The local government adviser said that Pran’s factory in Cumilla has been burned down. “There was never any labour unrest in Pran,” he said, adding that it is a conspiracy to hurt the renowned company's global expansion and Bangladesh’s economy.

“We have to deal with them strictly. The government will never use force against its citizens but given the current situation, we have to take action if we want to save factories, workers and the economy," the adviser said.

When asked what kind of action will be taken, he said there may be arrests or detentions. “If 50 people sit on the streets, half a million people will suffer. If we have to use force to remove them, we will do that,” he said.

Bangladesh is the second-largest exporter of RMG products after China. This sector suffered billions of takas in losses during the recent student-led movement that toppled Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5. The unrest comes as the sector is trying to turn around.