Alim Jute Mills
Workers lift barricade on promise to solve crisis
Police pushed back agitating workers of Alim Jute Mills to the mill compound about twenty minutes after they raised barricades on the Khulna-Jessore highway yesterday.
Clashes, apprehended by many earlier, could be avoided as Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naimur Rahman Chowdhury intervened and assured the workers that he would try to resolve the crisis.
Earlier, at 9 am yesterday, the workers put up barricades on Khulna-Jessore highway near Alim Jute Mill but could not continue the agitation after 9-20 am.
“Our workers withdrew the road blockade to avert a fierce clash with police, who were on riot gear”, said CBA president of the mill Abdus Salam.
“We have given the last chance to BJMC (Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation) authorities to resolve the crisis by February 16”, he added.
The workers are demanding reopening of the mill by February 17 and payment of all arrears.
The Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner Naimur Rahman Chowdhury assured the laid-off workers of making arrangement for an acceptable solution to their problems before the February 16 deadline.
He also said he would talk to BJMC officials.
He however said, “Law will take its own course in case of violation of emergency power rules by disrupting road and rail communications”.
“We do not bother KMP Commissioner's warning. We want him to resolve the crisis by using his good offices”, CBA president Abdus Salam said.
“Hungry workers will no more change the decision. They will go for an indefinite rail-road barricade if their demands are not met this time within the deadline”.
Panic gripped the entire Atra industrial belt in Khulna as laid-off workers and members of their families joined the blockade programme, raising full throated slogans 'Bhat Chai, Noile Amra Marte Chai (we want food or to die).
The brief road blockade disrupted traffic on Khulna-Jessore highway and also created panic among passengers. Many of them got down and moved to safer places fearing clash between police and agitating workers.
However, clash was averted due to intervention by the KMP Commissioner who ordered his forces to withdraw and requested workers not to take law in their hands but to wait till February 16 to resolve the crisis.
Project Director Monowar Hossain also hoped that the jute mill would be reopened after the sixth lay-off period expires on February 16.
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