Violation of labour laws: Arrest warrants against Hashem Foods MD, DGM

A Narayanganj court yesterday issued arrest warrants against two top officials of Hashem Foods in a case filed over violating labour laws.

The accused are: Abul Hashem, its managing director, and Mamunur Rashid, deputy general manager.

Kiron Sangkar Haldar, chairman of the Labour Court in Narayanganj, passed the order, said Md Asaduzzaman, inspector and in-charge of Narayanganj Court Police Outpost.

On June 30, 2021, Nesar Uddin Ahamed, an inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case against the duo over lack of adequate safety measures, inconsistency with the factory's machine layout plan as per the design, employment of child workers, and other irregularities.

The case was filed just a week before a massive fire incident in the factory on July 8 took 54 lives.

The DIFE earlier issued notices asking the factory authorities to rectify the irregularities, but they did not comply, said the plaintiff.

"We filed the case with a Labour Court in Dhaka, and the accused were in anticipatory bail. Recently, the case has been transferred to the Labour Court in Narayanganj. According to the law, if court changes for trial, bail must be taken again. Since the accused didn't do so, the court issued warrants against them," Nesar added.