The government has formed an advisory council committee to review the labour and business situation of Beximco Industrial Park.
The committee's purpose is to evaluate the impact of the current situation at Beximco on surrounding industrial establishments and public life and to send recommendations for appropriate actions to address these issues.
The cabinet division formulated the six-member advisory council committee, which included Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser, Ministry of Shipping, and Ministry of Labour and Employment as convenor.
They announced this in a gazette notification issued on Sunday.
According to the notification, the committee will formulate recommendations for immediate, medium-term, and permanent solutions to resolve the workers' grievances in the establishments of Beximco Industrial Park.
Moreover, they will also determine what needs to be done to ensure a desirable working environment in similar institutions.
The committee may co-opt members if necessary, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment will provide secretarial support to this committee.
The committee also included Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed, adviser, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology; Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd), adviser, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture; Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser, Ministry of Industries and Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Textiles and Jute, and Lutfey Siddiqui, special envoy to the Chief Adviser on international affairs as members.
Moreover, the executive chairman of BIDA, the secretaries of the ministries of finance, commerce, labour, and employment, and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) administrator will serve as supporting officials.
The workers of Beximco Group demanded their wages for October and blocked the highway for more than a week.
Industry insiders said that for the last few days, the workers from two factories in the Zirani and Chakrabarti areas have been blocking the Chandra-Nabinagar highway, demanding unpaid wages for the past month and other benefits.
Workers have reported that Beximco Industrial Park employs 41,000 workers in its apparel and ceramics factories.
Due to worker unrest at Beximco factories, the authorities have repeatedly announced the indefinite closure of several factories in Sarabo, Zirani, and surrounding areas. The workers of Beximco Group have attacked various factories over unpaid wages for October.
On November 19, to resolve the recent labour unrest at Beximco Ltd, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, in collaboration with the Finance Division, provided financial assistance to clear the outstanding wages for October 2024.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Safikuzzaman stated this and urged the general workers to resume work immediately to maintain law and order.
Moreover, all factories in the Ashulia-Chandra area were urged to continue normal production operations without disruption.
