Situation tense at Ghorasal fertiliser factory: 1,500 staff held hostage by local Juba Dal men

Some 1,500 officers, employees and workers of Ghorasal Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd (GUFFL), an enterprise of state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), have virtually held hostage under the hands of a group of a workers' leader for the last three days.

A tense situation is now prevailing at the factory and bloody clashes may break out any moment.

Al-Amin Bhuiyan, a worker leader of GUFFL, was stand released stand by the BCIC for his alleged involvement in widespread corruption, irregularities, misuse of power and subversive activities. When his releasing order reached at GUFFL, he became angry and held hostage the officials, employees and workers of the factory through his gang.

As a result, production at the factory has become uncertain at a time when the factory was about to go for production after overhauling through foreign experts and engineers. Panic has also gripped the workers.

The GUFFL sources said the BCIC authorities issued a stand-release order against machine operator Al Amin Bhuiyan, who is also Ghorasal Poura Juba Dal president and defeated candidate in the CBA election, for his alleged involvement in occupying the factory's CBA office on March 23 last. He was transferred to Chhatak Cement Factory. Instead of joining Chhatak Cement Factory, Al Amin Bhuiyan started to exert pressure on the local authorities to reinstate him in

the job with the help of his gangsters under the patronisation of a local BNP leader.

CBA's general secretary Anwarul Islam Shahin said Al-Amin Bhuiyan had been humiliating the employees and workers of the factory through his gangsters outside the factory gate from Friday. As a result, they have become hostage.

Sources at the GUFFL alleged that the local police station was not receiving any case from the employees and workers due to the pressure of a minister belonging to the Palash constituency. During the last three days, the Al Amin group manhandled more than 100 employees and workers of GUFFL, including marketing assistant Aminur Rashid, assistant sales officer Hafizur Rahman, Dr Neamul Kasemi and his wife, employee Mannan. They also snatched away cash and other belongings from them. After these incidents, the employees and workers stopped going outside the factory and have been passing their days under siege.

It may be mentioned that the BCIC authorities sacked former worker leader Mirajul Islam, stand-released Al Amin Bhuiyan and suspended 28 others for their direct involvement in subversive activities on March 23 last. Later, eight were relieved as complaints against them were not proved and 20 were given conditional relieve.