Jute workers' planned road barricade foiled
Police did not allow casual workers of six jute mills in Khulna-Jessore industrial belt to enforce their rail-road barricade programme yesterday to press their five-point demand including payment of arrears and government steps for better operation of the mills.
Over 4,000 casual workers assembled in front of Jessore Jute Industries (JJI) and Carpeting Jute Mills at Rajghat in Abhoynagar upazila in Jessore at about 10am to put up barricades on Khulna-Jessore highway. A self immolation by some workers yesterday was also announced earlier to press the demands.
BDR, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police were deployed in front of Jessore Jute Industries and Carpeting Jjute Mills to prevent casual workers from putting up road barricades.
High officials from Jessore district police intervened and asked the workers to postpone the blockade programme till arrival of a high level team of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) officials today (Thursday) in Khulna to resolve the crisis.
Talking to this correspondent later, Jessore Additional Police Superintendent Jalal Uddin Ahmed said they persuaded the workers to wait till arrival of the BJMC team and not to violate emergency rules.
There was no untoward incident in the area as the workers rescheduled their programme following the persuasion, he said.
“Such programme can nor be allowed under emergency”, he said.
Joint convenor of Khulna-Jesore Jute Mill Casual Workers' Coordination Committee Md Shamsher Alam said they want peaceful resolution of the crisis and give the authorities further scope.
“We will enforce the programme if the BJMC team due to arrive in Khulna (today) fails to resolve the crisis.
“This will be the last chance for BJMC to avoid serious consequences for playing dirty game with workers”, he said.
None of the six project directors of the jute mills could be contacted for their comment on the situation in the industrial belt as they did not attend offices yesterday.
Families of four project directors were shifted from mill quarters on Monday and Tuesday, some sources claimed.
Meanwhile, retired workers and those who quit their jobs under VRS have announced a four-day agitation programme from today to press payment of all arrears.
Their four-day programmes include protest procession covering their faces with white cloths on January 30 and self immolation by 10 workers on January 31 in front of Crescent Jute Mills.
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