Seventy-three temporary workers and employees at Ashuganj Fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited (AFCCL) in Brahmanbaria have not received their salaries for the last four months after filing a case in the labor court seeking permanent employment status.
They have not been paid since March. The workers are living an inhumane life with their families due to the financial hardship. They alleged that they are facing harassment and pressure to withdraw the case.
However, the factory authorities claim that, under current regulations, salaries must be disbursed through a third-party contractor. However, until February this year, the workers had received payments directly through the factory authorities.
According to various sources, 263 workers have been employed on a temporary basis in various departments since the establishment of the Ashuganj Fertilizer Company.
These workers and employees have been appointed in phases with the approval of the board of directors through the file ‘note’ of the factory authorities.
Not a single worker has been appointed through a contractor. Although the contractors were changed over times, the core group of temporary workers reportedly remained in their roles without interruption.
Among those, 73 workers in an attempt to secure permanent status, filed a case in the Chattogram Labour Court which was later transferred to Cumilla. After hearing both sides, the court issued a status quo order, preventing any change to their employment until the matter is resolved.
The factory authorities subsequently filed two writ petitions in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, seeking permission to suspend the Labor Court’s judgment and issue a notification for the recruitment of outsourced manpower.
The High Court, however, upheld the labor court’s order and instructed that the existing workers’ benefits be maintained during the legal process.
Despite this, the factory later published a newspaper advertisement seeking outsourced workers—without informing the board of directors of the High Court’s ruling. When the issue was raised, factory officials reportedly expressed regret for the oversight.
Before this case, temporary workers were paid through the factory authorities to their respective bank accounts in Sonali Bank.
Workers now accuse the administration of deliberately withholding salaries to undermine their case and to create the impression that they were employed by contractors. They insist on receiving payments directly from the factory, as had been the practice until earlier this year.
Al Amin, who has worked in the sales department since 2002, said, “We went to court after submitting repeated appeals for permanent status to the factory authorities, but no action was taken. Now we’re being pressured to withdraw the case.”
Factory officials deny the allegations of intimidation. Mohammad Tajul Islam Bhuiyan, chief deputy general manager of administration, said the workers were previously paid via contractors and attributed discrepancies to a “printing error” in the latest work order.
He also claimed that prior authorities were aware of the High Court’s directive.
Managing Director Pradeep Kumar Nath said, “Salaries and allowances for these workers have been handed over to the contractor, as per policy.”
The case remains pending in the labor court, while the affected workers continue to demand direct payment of outstanding salaries and recognition as permanent employees.
