In death ends his hunger strike
Jute mill worker who became sick after hunger strike dies in hospital
A worker of Platinum Jute Mill died at Khulna Medical College Hospital yesterday.
Victim Sohrab Hossain, 55, fell sick while observing a hunger strike on Friday, said Khalilur Rahman Sumon, joint convener of Jute Mill Collective Bargaining Association (CBA) and Non-CBA.
Sohrab was immediately admitted to a private clinic. After recovery, he joined work on Saturday but fell sick again. He was then sent to KMCH where he breathed his last at 7:00am yesterday, he added.
Contacted, KMCH Director ATM Monzur Morshed said he did not know anything about the death as he was out of Khulna for official purpose.
“If anything of this sort had happened, I would have known about it through the honourable MP or the police,” he said.
Sabirul Alom, officer-in-charge of Khalishpur Police Station, said he heard about the death news of a jute mill worker.
He, however, said he did not know if the worker fell sick during the hunger strike.
Earlier on Thursday, another worker of the same jute mill -- Abdur Sattar -- died while observing the hunger strike.
After four days had passed and around 100 workers fell sick due to the hunger strike, State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sufian on Saturday held a meeting with them.
The workers then suspended their work abstention programme for three days.
Around 31,000 jute mill workers of nine state-run jute mills in Khulna-Jashore industrial belt started protesting on Tuesday to press home their 11-point demand.
The demands include payment of regular wages, cancellation of public-private ownership, necessary fund for jute sector, insurance for families of deceased workers, provident fund and gratuity facility for retired workers and regularisation of temporary workers.