7 trade unionists land in jail

A Dhaka court on Sunday sent seven people including six leaders of Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre (TUC) to jail in a case filed for allegedly attacking officials of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Mizanur Rahman’s court handed down the jail order after eight accused including TUC president Montu Ghosh and a leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Sazedur Rahman Shameem surrendered before the court.

The TUC president, however, was granted bail in the case.

The other accused are: TUC general secretary Joly Talukdar, organising secretary KM Mintu, international affairs secretary Monjur Moin, TUC’s Gazipur unit general secretary Jalal Howladar, TUC Savar unit president Lutfar Rahman and TUC’s central committee member Md Shahjahan.

Lawyer of the defendants MA Taher told Prothom Alo that the eight accused were in eight-week bail in the case since February this year.

“The court has sent seven of them to jail after they surrendered before the court seeking extension of their bail tenure.”

On 31 January, the apex body of the garment manufacturers filed the case with Ramna police station against 12 people and some 100-150 unidentified people for “attempting to kill BGMEA officials”.

At least three people including a garment worker were injured during a clash between garment workers and BGMEA officials when a group of garment workers staged a demonstration at the BGMEA headquarters in Karwanbazar.

Agitating garment workers vandalised the BGMEA office during the clash.