Snowtex employees return to work

Snowtex Outerwear Ltd, a readymade garment manufacturer in Dhaka's Dhamrai, yesterday in a press statement said their workers re-joined work on Tuesday. 

On Sunday and Monday, over 600 of the factory's workers were hospitalised with symptoms of food poisoning. They started feeling sick after having lunch, provided by the factory, on Sunday. 

The Snowtex authorities claimed that doctors at Gonoshasthaya Hospital and Enam Medical College Hospital, where most of workers were admitted, “did not find symptoms of food poisoning” in patients.

After visiting the factory, Dhamrai upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), upazila health officials and officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station found the factory safe and suitable for workers as it has sufficient ventilation and sunlight access.

Abul Kalam Azad, the Dhamrai UNO, said during primary investigation, they did not find any sign of food poisoning or chemical contamination that could cause the sickness in the factory, said the press statement. 

Quoting Mizanur Rahman, director of Gonoshasthaya Hospital in Savar, the press statement said falling sick of food poisoning without having any food is a sign of psychological weakness. This type of sickness was seen in other factories before, he said, adding that a large number of people falling sick for unknown reasons is called mass hysteria.