Neighbour behind RMG unrest: Labour secy

Without naming any country, Labour Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman suggested on Saturday that a neighbouring country might be behind the recent unrest in Bangladesh's ready-made garments (RMG) sector.

He made this comment at a programme organised by Debate for Democracy at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), focusing on labour rights and unrest in the RMG sector.

Shafiquzzaman stated, "If unrest in this sector (RMG) is prolonged, buyers may shift their work orders to other countries. That is why conspirators are actively trying to create chaos in the sector."

He further noted that, despite these efforts, the discontent in the sector has largely been addressed due to timely and effective government actions.

He also said that in the past, the then government had registered some so-called dummy labour organisations to get the support of labour unions.

"It is important to investigate whether the registration of these labour organisations has been done properly," said AHM Shafiquzzaman. "Action should also be taken to determine if these organisations are pursuing political interests that may be behind the recent unrest in the garment sector."