Garment factory owners must clear all outstanding wages of their workers by May 28, or face arrest and imprisonment, warned Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain on Wednesday.
He issued the warning while speaking at a press briefing at the Secretariat following a meeting on preparations for Eid-ul-Azha.
“There were plans for workers to lay siege to the Labour Ministry and the Jamuna buildings. Although these factories fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, the responsibility seems to be shifting to me,” the adviser said.
“On Tuesday, we met with factory owners, and it was agreed that they would clear all workers’ dues by May 28, even if it means selling their houses. If they fail to comply, arrest warrants may be issued.”
He added that arrest warrants have already been issued against five factory owners, and if any are found abroad, red alerts will be activated through the appropriate channels.
“They must pay their workers, whether by selling houses or vehicles. Anyone who cannot pay wages for two or three months has no place in this sector,” he stressed.
“I urge the owners to pay their workers or prepare to go to jail. Arrest warrants are ready, though not yet activated. However, some owners have already been instructed not to remain in Dhaka,” he added.
Referring to ferry services on the Roumari-Chilmari route, the adviser said two medium-sized ferries have been introduced in the northern region of Bangladesh.
Ferry services are already operating on a trial basis and are expected to be officially launched soon, he added.
“This new route will directly connect Jamalpur and is expected to reduce travel time to Dhaka by nearly 100 kilometres for people in the region. This is a significant achievement, and we plan to begin full ferry operations from Thursday, ahead of Eid. The route has been restored through necessary dredging,” he said.