Was shooting workers in Banshkhali the only resort?
Shooting five workers dead while they were demonstrating at the Banshkhali coal-fired power plant of S Alam Group in Chattogram, demanding their wages and allowances on Saturday, is reprehensible, unacceptable. Can shooting by any means be the only resort to foil a protest of agitating workers?
The workers raised demands that included due wages, break during iftar and sehri, and so on. Are these demands unreasonable? If not, why did five workers have to lay their lives for their rightful demands? This is not the first incident of bloodshed in the factory. In 2016, four locals were killed during a clash protesting against land acquisition for the power plant.
According to Prothom Alo reports, around 6,000 workers are currently employed at the power plant project. The workers asked for their March wages so that they could support their families during Ramadan. They also demanded for reducing work hours from nine hours to six hours and breaks during iftar and sehri. They demanded to be paid their wages by the fifth of every month.
The owner and authorities could have resolved the matter through negotiaitons, which they did not do. Generally our workers get a very low salary. How can they survive if the salary of previous month is not paid? Almost all companies give breaks for iftar and sehri. What made the authorities of Banshkhali power plant so obstinate?
The workers said, they did not work on Friday as the authorities did not agree to their demands. The workers gathered in front of Gate 4 of the plant to stage the demonstration. They started pelting brickbats at the police when the police responsible for the plant security tried to obstruct them. Police retaliated with gunfire, leaving five workers dead and another 30 injured. Was there no other alternative but to open fire?
The Prothom Alo correspondent found that many workers left for their village after five workers were killed. Two cases were filed against 35,000 unnamed workers-one by the police and another by the plant owner. The workers who were supposed to seek justice for their fellow workers’ death, instead are fleeing arrest.
The administration has formed an inquiry committee to look into the incident. We do not know what will come of the inquiry, but no inquiry or compensation can return the slain workers. S Alam Group authorities have announced compensation of Tk 300,000 to each of the killed workers and Tk 50,000 to the injured. Money does not compensate for killing people. In order to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, it is necessary to hold all concerned accountable and ensure the punishment of those involved in the killing.