Garment owners stage sit-in today

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Garment factory owners will stage a sit-in around Bangabhaban premises early today if the president and chief adviser (CA) to the caretaker government failed to break the current political deadlock by 4:00am.
The leaders of BGMEA at a press conference yesterday afternoon said they would take legal action against the interim government if the apparel sector suffered for their failure to make a decision and restore the environment for the country’s economic activities.

Issuing the ultimatum, the leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) urged the president and CA to find an acceptable solution that would save the country’s economy and quell the political unrest.

“We urge the president and the CA to resolve the political impasse within 12-hour. Otherwise, we will stage a sit-in around Bangabhaban premises along with our thousands of workers,” BGMEA President SM Fazlul Haque said at the conference at the organisation’s office.

He said, “The government is responsible for saving the country’s largest export-orientated industry. If a garment factory became financially unstable due to the political unrest, the government should bear the responsibility. Otherwise, we will be compelled to take legal action against the present government.”

The BGMEA president said they have already talked to other trade bodies to arrange the sit-in programme around the Bangabhaban premises.

Annisul Huq and Tipu Munshi, two former presidents of BGMEA, also spoke at the conference.

The BGMEA leaders also expressed their concerns over the activities of the CA and said the people of the country think that the president and CA handled crucial situations indecisively. It was very unfortunate that the CA along with 10 advisers failed to provide any solution acceptable to all, they said.

The BGMEA president said political programmes like blockade destroy the country’s economy and the garment sector suffers losses up to Tk400 crore per day.

The president/CA has the right to restructure the Election Commission in many ways, said Annisul Huq, adding, “He has to be strong in restructuring the Election Commission.”

He also urged the 14-party alliance to consider rescheduling their blockade programme until the president addresses to the nation.

Tipu Munshi, however, alleged that someone was controlling the overall activities of the caretaker government from behind the scene.

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