THE death of another worker caused by police action over unpaid wages demonstrates the government鈥檚 continued disregard for worker rights. At least 25 others were also injured in the clash with law enforcers at the Uttara Export Processing Zone in Nilphamari on September 2. While the family and fellows of the victim claimed that the deceased was shot by law enforcers, the police and physicians did not confirm this. The EPZ authorities said that some Evergreen Factory workers had demonstrated for their termination benefits for several days. On the fateful day, the workers took to the streets after the factory administration had declared a sudden two-day holiday. The workers feared that this was a ploy to shut down the factory without paying their dues. No cases have been filed over the death and injury of the workers and the factory management remained silent about the payment of termination benefits. Although the labour adviser to the interim government said that they were committed to protecting worker rights, the reality said otherwise.
This is not the only worker鈥檚 death over unpaid wages since the interim government was installed in August 2024. A female garment worker died from her injuries in Dhaka Medical College Hospital in October 2024 after being injured in police fire during a protest demanding arrears at Ashulia. In March, an agitating worker of Stylecrafts Limited reportedly suffered a heart attack at a sit-in in front of the Department of Labour office in Dhaka demanding their arrears for two months and festival allowances and died when he was taken to hospital. Workers of the TNZ Group have been on the streets on and off since early March, demanding their wages in arrears and severance benefits that the employers failed to pay before shutting the units. The government has, rather, been ineffective in settling issues of unpaid wages. The labour adviser has recently said that the government has taken steps to send a request to Interpol to issue a red notice for the TNZ factory owner. Labour leaders consider such a gesture futile as workers, already underpaid and financially struggling, cannot survive this long waiting for their wages. Recurring deaths in the apparel sector are a clear failure on part of the government, which has not identified the industrial units in financial crisis in time and workers have had to take to the streets to demand their legal entitlement.
The government should, under the circumstances, take immediate steps to investigate the death and injury of workers of the export processing zone in Nilphamari and investigate the allegation of unlawful termination of workers, which caused the labour unrest.
