Curtain falls on Rangpur Sugar Mills

A notice was hung Friday on its gate, declaring its lay-off from March 31.

Signed by its Managing Director Ashraf Ali, the notice said, "It (lay-off) is a government decision. Accordingly we also declared pay-off category of employees and all necessary papers are being prepared in this respect."

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

With the closure of mill, over 925 employees will became jobless and over 50,000 sugarcane growers in Mohimaganj will be affected, leaders of workers unions said.

The mill workers and employees, joined by local people and sugarcane growers, have been agitating for withdraw of the lay-off decision, resulting in clashes with law enforcers. At least 70 people were injured in clashes on Wednesday. The workers also declared a "self-immolation" programme earlier. On Friday, police dispersed workers when they gathered in front of the mill to protest and dig a "mass graves for victims of self-immolation".

The workers hurled brickbats at police, injuring one of them named Shaficul Islam.

On-duty Magistrate AZM Nurul Huq said the situation was under control.

Called by the Federation of Sugar Mills Workers and Employees Union, sugar mill workers across the country are scheduled to stage sit-in demonstrations in front of all sugar mills today to press withdrawal of the lay-off decision.