Roads blocked for pay in Savar, Ctg

A sobbing Rokeya Begum sits before a trunk filled with fake money and covered with red paint symbolising the blood of missing workers of Tazreen Fashions whose photos are pasted on it during a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club yesterday which demanded compensation from the prime minister's relief fund for the missing and the injured; her daughter Hena is one of the missing. Photo: Star

Garment workers demonstrated in Savar and Chittagong yesterday demanding festival bonus ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Nearly a hundred workers of Maggie and Liz Corporation (Pvt) Ltd blockaded Nur Ahmed Road in Chittagong city for about half an hour from 1:00pm, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Quoting the demonstrators, Arifur Rahman Arif, deputy assistant director of Industrial Police-3, Chittagong, said the workers blockaded the road fearing that the factory authorities would not give them bonus before Eid as only about a week is left for the festival.
They demanded that the factory management give them Eid bonus immediately.

Survivors and families of those who died in the Rana Plaza collapse form a human chain at the site in Savar demanding compensation before Eid. Photo: Star

The road blockade was withdrawn after police arranged a meeting between the workers and factory management where it was settled that the workers would get Eid bonus on July 26.       
Meanwhile, over a hundred workers of SMN Sweater (Pvt) Ltd of Savar demonstrated on the factory premises demanding festival bonus and arrears for May and June, according to our Savar correspondent.
The workers also marched on the Dhaka-Aricha highway from Savar Bus Stand to Rajalakh Farm Crossing to press home their demands.
The agitated workers said they had demonstrated several times before to press home their demand for arrears and the authorities had promised then that they would pay the arrears but did not keep their word.

Workers of garment factory Maggie and Liz Corporation (Pvt) Ltd block Nur Ahmed Road in Chittagong city demanding Eid bonus. Photo: Star

One of the workers, Md Ruhul Amin, said, “Mamunur Rashid, managing director of the factory, told us that we would be paid on July 10, but he has been missing since then.”
Despite repeated attempts, The Daily Star could not reach the factory authorities.