Leaders of National Shop Employee Federation have claimed that although shop owners received financial aid from the Prime Minister's Office, mayor, minister, owners' association and various organizations following April's fire at Bangabazar, 15,000 shop workers have yet to receive any compensation.
The organization voiced its complaint during a march of shop employees of Bangabazar towards the Prime Minister's Office in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday.
On April 4, around 3,000 shops in five markets were burnt in the fire. As a result, 15,000 workers lost their jobs, they said.
They spent Eid-ul-Fitr without salary or allowances and will have to do the same this Eid. Shop workers and employees are living miserable lives with their families. The shop owners received crores of taka for their business from different sources, but the shop workers have not received a single taka in compensation.
The National Shop Employee Federation leaders said that the shop owners have so far received Tk19 crore from the PMO, Tk1 crore from the FBCCI, Tk1.20 crore from the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Tk7 crore from public funds and Tk1 crore from Bidyananda in aid.
Besides, various other organizations have also made donations.
They said that there is no job assurance for the affected store employees. Living with family has become difficult for them.
They demanded the prime minister provide proper assistance to the 15,000 shop employees affected in the fire.
They said a delegation of five people will go to the PMO and submit a memorandum with a list containing the names of 6,603 affected shop employees.
