C T Online Desk: The ongoing labour unrest and disruptions in key industrial areas are largely caused by outsiders, not the workers, said Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser A.F. Hasan Ariff on Wednesday.
“We have received reports…the unrest in the industrial sector is being driven by outsiders. If the workers resist these outsiders, the government will stand by them,” Hasan Arif said during a press briefing after an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He noted that key factories, like those of Pran Company, have been set on fire despite never having a history of labour unrest. “These acts are intended to sabotage Bangladesh’s foreign currency earnings by targeting successful companies,” he added.
Arif also said that if local factories are destroyed, it would benefit no one but those with ill motives. “We must take stricter measures against these outsiders to protect our factories, workers, and the national economy.”
“While the government is generally unwilling to use force against its citizens, the current situation may require tough actions against a few to save the many,” he warned.
When asked about potential actions, the adviser indicated that arrests or detentions could be considered. “If necessary, force might be used to remove small groups of agitators to prevent larger disruptions,” he said.
Several key government advisers, including Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar, Industry Adviser Adilur Rahman, and Labor and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, attended the meeting among others.
