Govt decides to drop cases against RMG worker leaders

The government decided to withdraw cases against some garment workers' leaders and expedite investigation into the sensational workers' leader Aminul Islam murder case in an effort to create an image abroad that it was working for the workers' rights.
The home ministry today will send a letter to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dhaka district to take steps for withdrawing the cases.
The move comes against the backdrop of the suspension of trade privileges, known as the Generalised System of Preferences, for Bangladesh by the US on June 27 due to “'serious shortcomings” in safety and labour standards.
The home ministry decided to withdraw16 cases filed against garment workers' leader Kalpana Akhter and Babul Akhter.
The cases were filed on July 30 and 31, 2010 with Ashulia Police Station under speedy trial act bringing arson and vandalism charges.
In the two days, several thousand garment workers rampaged through different parts of the capital, Ashulia and Gazipur damaging several hundred business establishments and factories on rejecting the new wage structure announced by the government.
During the mayhem police arrested several workers' leaders including the duo and lodged cases against them, showing most of them as masterminds of such anarchies.
Babul and Kalpana were freed on bail later, according to the home ministry.