The government has announced a bounty of TK100,000 for handing over to authorities the prime suspect of garment workers’ leader Aminul Islam killing case, Mustafizur Rahman.
The home ministry on Monday announced the bounty for the informers of fugitive Mustafiz on condition of concealed the identity of the informer.
Mahfuzul Haque, senior information officer of the ministry told Dhaka Tribune: “ In the context of strained relations and consistent diplomatic pressure from US, the government in its directive declared the bounty.”
According to the government’s directives, whoever finds the trace of Mustafizur Rahman, son of Shamser Biswas, Village: Kadirpara, Post Office: Rana Nagar, Police Station: Shreepur, District: Magura is requested to inform the nearby police station of his whereabouts.
On April 4, 2012, garment workers leader Aminul Islam, 39, was abducted and on April 5, Ghatail thana police recovered his body from a road in front of the Bhrammon Shashon Girls’ High School.
His family claimed that the members of law enforcement agency abducted, tortured and killed Aminul.
He was the president of the Ashulia and Savar chapters of the Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation and a leader of the Bangladesh Center of Worker Solidarity, which has advocated for improved working conditions and higher wages.
In 2010, the organisation led protests to push for a larger increase in the minimum wage for garment workers. Islam, as well as other labour leaders, had been arrested in connection with these protests. During his arrest in 2010, he was allegedly physically tortured by officers of the National Security Intelligence.
He was working to organise workers in factories belonging to the Shanta Group, which produces clothing for multiple American companies including Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, and Ralph Lauren.
He was married and had two sons and a daughter.