A total of 120 workers from Ananta Garments and Ananta Sports Wear in the Nishchintpur area of Ashulia, Savar, have been temporarily dismissed, according to reports.
The factories issued a notice on Tuesday, listing the names of the dismissed workers, which was posted at the factory gates.
According to the notice, Ananta Garments Limited and Ananta Sports Wear Limited accused the workers of engaging in illegal activities such as vandalism, looting, rioting, work stoppages, and bribery between September 1-22. These actions were cited under Sections 23, 196, 294, 295, and 296 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, leading to the dismissal of 120 workers.
Sources indicate that workers began protesting over demands such as an increase in attendance bonuses, tiffin allowances, and a halt to layoffs. Some unrest occurred during the protests, leading to the eventual dismissals.
This sparked anger among the workers, with hundreds protesting in front of the factories from Tuesday morning.
Workers claim that during a meeting between the government, factory owners, and workers on Monday, it was decided to accept their 18-point demands and reopen the factories from Tuesday. However, when many workers arrived on time to work, they found themselves barred from entry and saw the dismissal list posted at the gate.
Liton Islam Hriday, a suspended worker from Ananta Sports Wear Limited, expressed frustration, saying: “The owner and the government accepted our demands, so I came to work in the morning. But the security guards didn’t let me in, and I saw that many of us were dismissed.”
Another worker, Preeti, said: “I wasn’t involved in any protest, but I still wasn’t allowed to enter the factory. I’ve been waiting outside all day. We just want to work.”
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, criticized the dismissals: “During the meeting on Monday, it was agreed that no workers would be laid off. Despite that, 120 workers have been dismissed today. Similarly, 75 workers were dismissed from Pearl Garments, 85 from Handa, and 81 from Shin Shin.”
He called for the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed workers, adding: “The Labour Act outlines specific rules for dismissals, and none of those conditions apply at this time. This dismissal is illegal. If unrest arises due to this decision, the owners will be responsible.”
Inamul Haque Khan, managing director of Ananta Garments Limited, responded by saying: “No one has been dismissed — 121 workers have been temporarily suspended. They threatened to burn down the factory and beat staff members if they weren’t paid Tk25,000. We have the evidence on CCTV. The factory was closed for 24 days, and we just resumed production today. This closure has caused me a loss of Tk27 crore, plus another Tk45 crore in goods.”
Attempts to reach Industrial Police-1 Superintendent Md Sarwar Alam for comment were unsuccessful.