Who will answer for Habib’s death?
We are outraged by the killing of a knitting worker at the Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) of Nilphamari on Tuesday. Reportedly, workers of Evergreen Products Factory (BD) Ltd, a wig factory in the EPZ, were demanding termination benefits for several days after the factory authorities had laid off 51. Amid their protest, the authorities suddenly announced a two-day holiday, without paying workers' salaries or termination benefits. Enraged, the latter blocked the nearby Nilphamari-Saidpur highway. As police, BGB, and army personnel were deployed to disperse them, a clash broke out, and at one point, law enforcers opened fire, injuring Habib and several others. However, Habib was reportedly not an employee of the factory in question; he worked at another factory. According to his elder brother, after finishing his night shift, he was leaving the EPZ when he was shot dead. That an innocent life was lost in a clash over rights is deeply unsettling, raising fresh concerns about how law enforcement agencies handle such situations.
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Over the years, our workers, particularly in the apparel sector, have had to repeatedly resort to protests just to secure the most basic of rights. They often take to the streets over unpaid wages as many factories do not pay on time. During national festivals such as the two Eids, protests over unpaid dues have become a common sight. Sudden lay-offs have also become quite common. Unfortunately, when workers protest against such deprivation and arbitrary lay-offs, they almost always face heavy-handed responses from factory owners and law enforcement agencies. In the case of Evergreen Products Factory (BD) Ltd, the owners used the same tactic. The question is, why would they lay off workers without notice, and that too without providing them termination benefits? This is a clear violation of labour rights.
After the interim government came to power, it established the Labour Reform Commission with a pledge to uphold workers' rights and welfare, and to eliminate the discrimination they systemically face. What has happened to those promises? Have we been able to guarantee minimum wage and other fundamental rights of our workers? The chairman of the labour reform commission recently voiced his frustration over the lack of progress in implementing its proposals. This is quite disheartening.
We urge the government to properly investigate the incident at Nilphamari EPZ and hold to account those responsible for killing Habib and injuring others. The owners of Evergreen Products Factory (BD) Ltd must also be held accountable for pushing the workers to a situation that ultimately led to casualties. In the new Bangladesh that was promised following the July uprising, in which workers had played a vital role, they must not face such violations and discrimination anymore.
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