Factory owners urged to pay workers’ wages and bonuses ahead of Eid

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has instructed that all outstanding wages and festival bonuses for workers in the country’s industrial sector must be cleared before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.

The directive was issued at a high-level meeting held on Saturday at the minister’s official residence office on Bailey Road in Dhaka to discuss steps to prevent labour unrest in both the RMG and non-RMG sectors.

He said lists of vulnerable factories in different parliamentary constituencies would be prepared and shared with members of parliament, who would then engage directly with factory authorities to ensure the swift payment of pending wages and bonuses. The minister also asked officials to contact banks, including United Commercial Bank Limited, Trust Bank Limited and Premier Bank Limited, which were allegedly delaying loan disbursements despite instructions from Bangladesh Bank, to ensure prompt financial support for factories.

He warned that certain labour leaders attempting to create instability in the industrial sector by unnecessarily provoking workers should be closely monitored by local MPs and the administration.

The minister further directed officials to prepare a list of absconding factory owners and their establishments, stressing the need to prevent any untoward incidents in those factories.

Assuring support, he said all officials and employees of the Ministry of Labour and Employment are ready to provide necessary assistance and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting workers’ interests.

At the meeting, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin said the prime minister had instructed authorities to maintain strict monitoring to address workers’ problems.

He added that the government would prioritise initiatives to reopen closed factories within 180 days of assuming office.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan said that among 2,127 operational factories in Dhaka and Chattogram, 1,964 factories (92.34 percent) had paid February salaries, while 1,535 factories (72.17 percent) had already paid Eid bonuses.

He noted that payment of March salaries is not mandatory, though factories with sufficient financial capacity may choose to pay them.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem said that of the country’s 834 factories, 512 had paid February salaries and 604 had paid Eid bonuses.

He expressed hope that major labour unrest could be avoided as most factories have already cleared their dues.

Labour and Employment Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarafdar suggested that establishing an emergency fund could offer a long-term solution to wage and bonus-related issues.

The meeting was also attended by several lawmakers, including Dewan Md Salauddin (Dhaka-19), Md Tamiz Uddin (Dhaka-20), Md Mujibur Rahman (Gazipur-1), M Manjurul Karim Rony (Gazipur-2), SM Rafiqul Islam (Gazipur-3), and Fazlul Haque Milon (Gazipur-5), along with senior government officials.