Illogical demand
Photo: Tanvir Ahmed / Driknews
The recent demand of BGMEA seems very illogical and unethical to me. I am not a businessman, nor an expert on the economy. But the way the demands have been put forward to the govt. is ill motivated. We've noticed how the finance minister talked to this largest business community time and again to mitigate their sufferings due to economic recession all over the world. We've also come to know from the media and other different sources that the garment industry is not doing so bad as it was feared by many. Once we were alarmed at the news that lots of girls would be unemployed. Thank God, that has not happened yet. The present govt. is undoubtedly considerate to the demands of the garment owners. The govt. has initiated a programme of allotting rice to the garment workers. There is also a plan to form a special force for law and order in this sector. A special fund has been kept in the budget to support this sector. All these prove the good intention of this govt. But this sudden demand to allot Tk 3,000 crore to pay Eid bonus and salary to garment workers is illogical. I'll live comfortably in a luxurious house having a luxury car and I'll not pay monthly dues to the workers! This can not be the ethics of this largest foreign currency earning business sector. We've heard that a German buyer has stopped buying garments from Bangladesh due to a report about atrocities on female workers. This is not at all acceptable. There are many painful stories related to harassment in the factories. Your newspaper has carried out a lot of stories about what is happening in this sector. I remember once you printed picture of bare footed girls going to have food during break. It symbolises how much deprived they are in their workplaces. I am not generalising it. My point is that these factories are not state owned. Why are they demanding money from the govt. to pay Eid bonus to their workers?
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