Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has alleged that some individuals have established factories solely for the purpose of laundering money abroad.
However, he acknowledged that there are also many responsible factory owners who have significantly contributed to the country’s export growth.
He made these remarks while speaking to journalists on Saturday (August 2) after attending a meeting with officials of the Department of Labour, employees, and trade union leaders, as well as distributing financial aid cheques to workers at the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety Research and Training in Rajshahi.
Addressing the closure of some factories, the adviser said, “I am not responsible for the closure of any factory. Some owners took loans from banks and laundered the money abroad. Now they cannot repay the loans and have fled the country. These factories were set up with the intent of financial manipulation.”
He added, “Many factories are still operating in the country. Otherwise, how would we see a 7-8 percent growth in exports? There are good owners who have never defaulted on loans, who care for their workers, and regularly pay their wages. Many large factories are still running effectively.”
Commenting on workers’ protests, Dr. Sakhawat said, “Workers have the right to protest if they wish. Anyone can take to the streets to demand their rightful dues. I too can do the same. It’s a democratic right.”
Highlighting the importance of elections in trade unions, he said, “In many trade unions or federations, we see one leader being replaced by another without any election. In the Ministry of Shipping, there’s someone who has held the same position for 27 years. He’s practically permanent. But that shouldn’t be the case. Elections are the only way to determine leadership. If we talk about democracy, it should be practiced at every level.”
Earlier, Dr. Sakhawat inaugurated a research conference held in the same building. Expressing concern about the living conditions of women workers in tea gardens, he said, “The lack of toilets in tea gardens is inhumane. This raises the risk of cancer among female workers. Even safe drinking water is not available there. This situation is unacceptable.”
The event was also attended by Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment A H M Shafiquzzaman, Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Omar Md. Imrul Mohsin, and Deputy Inspector General of Rajshahi Division Jahangir Alam.
