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The leaders of six garment workers’ federations in Bangladesh have demanded the immediate payment of non-paid wages and Eid (festival) bonuses to garment workers. They also urged the government to take action against factory owners who have violated the deadlines.

The demands were raised at a rally on July 8 at the National Press Club in Dhaka. The garment workers’ rally was followed by a red- flag procession that marched through some of Dhaka’s most famous streets.

Spearheaded by Amirul Haque Amin, president of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), the march was jointly organized by NGWF, Bangladesh Garment Workers Employees Federation, National Garment Workers Employees Federation, Akota Garment Workers Federation,  Garment Workers Solidarity Federation and Bangla Garment Workers Federation.

Trade union leaders such as Trade union Comrade Qamrul Ahsan, M. Delwar Hossain, Kazi Mohammed Ali, Md. Kamrul Hasan & Ms Shahida Akter Smrity spoke at the rally urging factory owners to pay their workers’ wages and overtime dues for the month of June before July 10, and to pay the Eid bonus before July 14, as previously stipulated by the Bangladeshi government.

Speakers denounced some garment factory owners for taking advantage of the Eid festival to cheat their workers out of decent pay and working conditions during the religious holiday. Additionally, trade union leaders demanded the arrest of factory owners Safar Ali Bhuyan and Pollok Sheth for their intimidating anti-union behavior.