Labour Reform Commission chief Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said open firing on protesting workers is a severe violation of human rights.
“Owners illegally shut down factories without paying workers’ due wages and neither the government nor the employers take formal and timely measures to fulfill the workers’ legitimate demands,” said Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed in a statement on Wednesday.
The Labor Reform Commission chief’s statement comes after the factory closure, layoffs, and the death and injuries of workers in Nilphamari due to police firing on Tuesday.
The statement mentioned that a hosiery factory named Evergreen Products Factory Limited was shut down in the Uttara EPZ of Nilphamari on Tuesday.
Ahmed, who is also the executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), said amid protests over several days on various issues including layoffs, law enforcement personnel opened fire during the movement for workers’ legitimate demands.
“As a result, Habibur Rahman, a worker at a knitting factory called Equ International, was killed, and more than fifty workers were injured in the clashes,” said the statement.
The workers are ultimately compelled to protest, leading to clashes between law enforcement and workers, which is entirely undesirable,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed strongly condemned this incident and demanded proper medical treatment for the injured workers, rehabilitation and compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured workers, a fair investigation of the incident.
He urged the authorities to not to dismiss or harass any worker in connection with the incident. Ahmed said trade union representatives should be included in the investigation.
