Workers remain in Gazipur factory since Saturday night demanding salary-bonus

Workers stay at GM & JC Composite Limited at Bhogra area of Gazipur factory since Saturday night demanding salary-bonus.Prothom Alo

Workers have been staying at a readymade garment factory in Gazipur since Saturday night demanding salary and bonus.

The factory, GM & JC Composite Limited, locates at Bhogra area of the metropolitan.

The workers have been staying inside the factory till 2:00pm on Sunday. They said they would not leave the factory without salary and bonus.

They have had just water and biscuits for iftar and sehri.

Workers said they were supposed to be paid salary and bonus on Saturday afternoon. On the previous day, they decorated the factory like their own house with coloured paper on the occasion of Eid. The workers dressed up and came to work at the factory.

They were working enthusiastically thinking they would go home with salary and Eid bonus.

But officials at the factory left the factory without paying salary and bonus in the afternoon.

When the workers were waiting for their dues, they came to know the officials left the factory. They were furious.

The workers said they had iftar with just water and biscuits from a nearby shop. They remained at the factory at night. They had dry food for sehri.

Worker Asma Akhtar said, "We wanted to go to our villages with our salary and bonus to celebrate Eid with our families. But we are yet to get our salary and bonus."

A total of 850 workers work in the factory.

Factory owner Md Alimuzzaman could not be reached over phone.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, factory accounts officer Mofazzal Hossain said they could not pay salary and bonus as they could not draw money due to banking problems.

Gazipur metropolitan police deputy commissioner Zakir Hasan told newsmen, "We are also looking for the owner. We are creating pressure on the factory authorities. We hope the workers would be paid within afternoon."

According to the records of the Gazipur industrial police, 28 factories in Gazipur owe workers their dues.