More than 2,000 workers of Alim Jute Mills Ltd have to lead inhuman life as their salary has not been given for six months after its administrative power was handed over to private sector.
Md Anwarul Haque, project manager of the mill, said production had been suspended since the factory’s privatisation.
A lot of goods worth about Tk4 crore have been lying unsold in the mill due to negligence of the authorities.
The workers with their family members have to lead inhuman life as their salary has been unpaid for a long time, he says.
Munshi Rafiqul Islam, chief accountant of the mill, said Jaglul Alim, managing director of the mill had been given the charge six months back.
Meetings were supposed to held with him from the side of workers. But he had not visited the factory yet.
Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation( BJMC) authorities did not take steps in this connection, said Rafiqul.
Tahazzat Hossain, worker of the mill, said he had to lend Tk50,000 in last six months as he did not get salary.
“I have to face a tough situation with my five family members as I have not got salary for several months,”he said.
Abbas Biswas, another worker, said Alim and his associates had made fun with the workers in the name of taking ownership of the mill.
Tanvir Ahmed and Amir Khan, sons of workers said they were attending the school of the mill colony.
If there was no food, how they could continue the study, they raised question.
Lokman Hakim, leader of the workers, said the government had 66.62 percent share of the mill while Alim led groups had only 21.65 percent.
The group took the charge of ownership of the mill by making fake documents, he said.
Jaglul Mahmud, managing director of Messers Shilpa Partisthan, said the BJMC had not handed over the charge of the mill to Alim group yet.
Rafiqul Islam. Co-ordinator of the BJMC said, the administratve power had been given to Alim group six months back. But they could not enter the mill due protest of the workers’ union.
The CBA and non-CBA workers started to protest against the privatisation of the state-owned jute mill under the banner of Alim Jute Mill Privatisation Resistance Committee after the process to privatise the jute mill started in May following a court order.
They said they would continue their movement.
CBA leader Abdus Salam Jamaddar said: “We will stay on the highway until our ultimate success.”