BEXIMCO to get Tk 600m as fresh loan

The government has decided to approve a Tk-60-million-loan for the BEXIMCO group to clear the salary and allowances of the company’s workers and employees for the month of October.

The workers of the BEXIMCO Industrial Park have been demonstrating in the Sarabo area of the Gazipur City by blocking the road for the last four days demanding the due salary and allowances.

It has been learnt that the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Finance Division of the finance ministry decided to provide the loan jointly following a meeting with the BEXIMCO officials at the secretariat on Tuesday.

Confirming the development to Prothom Alo, labour secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said in a text message, “A decision has been taken to provide a loan to the BEXIMCO Group to clear the pending salary and allowances of its workers and employees.”

He also requested the protesting workers to return to their work for the sake of law and order and to maintain a stable production in all factories in the Ashulia-Chandra area.

Asked about this, BEXIMCO Group director (finance and corporate affairs) Osman Kaisar Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, “The labour ministry and the Finance Division will provide Tk 100 million and Tk 500 million respectively as loans. There are some processes to get the loan. It would take a day or two.”

In response to another question, he said, “We need Tk 800 million to clear the pending bills of the workers. We arrange the remaining Tk 200 million on our own.”

Around 40,000 workers work in the 24 factories under the BEXIMCO. However, the BEXIMCO Group has not been able to import raw materials following the regime change as the group is a loan defaulter.

The production has greatly declined in the factories of the company due to this. The BEXIMCO Group exports readymade garments worth USD 30 million on average every year.