The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Law enforcing agencies have confirmed that a foreign organization and leaders of a section of garment workers were involved in alleged provocation in recent unrest in garment factories in city's Mirpur area.

Six cases were filed with Kafrul police station, while one case was filed with Pallabi police station in connection with the workers' unrest.

After investigation, an intelligence agency arrested Mehedi Hasan, Bangladesh representative of Washington-based Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), from Zia International Airport prior to his departure for Bangkok on January 24 and handed him over to Pallabi thana in connection with the case. Police produced Mehedi Hasan before a CMM court and prayed for a 10-day police remand for interrogation on January 25. But the court granted a 4-day remand. At the end of the remand, police again produced Mehedi before CMM court yesterday and prayed for a 7-day remand for further interrogation.

The court granted for 3 days' remand. Court sources said, Mehedi reportedly confessed to interrogators that he used to collect information about workers' problems and send the information through E-mail to the WRC headquarters in Washington DC.

Mehedi was also learnt to have disclosed that he incited garments workers to press for their demands and held several secret meetings with a section of garment workers' leaders. On January 12, hundreds of workers from several garment factories, including SQ Garments, Outwear Fashion, Outright Fashion, Outfit Fashion and Hisna Knitting Pvt Ltd, blocked the busy Rokeya Sarani at Shewrapara for nine hours from 8am and chanted various slogans in favour of their demands. Earlier, on January 4, the workers of SQ garments also demonstrated on the same road on similar demands. Later, they withdrew the demonstration programme as the owners accepted their demands. On January 15, the workers of MBM Garments came out on to the street in Mirpur-13 in the morning, incensed by hearsay in and around the factory that a garment worker was beaten to death in Opex Group's factory during January 14's unrest that also left dozens of workers wounded. Later, they put barricades on the road nearby with electric poles in front of the BRTA office, causing traffic disruption on Mirpur-Kachukhet road.

During the five-hour-long chase and counter-chase from 9am, police charged batons and also used tear shells to disperse the belligerent protestors, leaving at least 50 workers injured.

Ekushey Book Fair opens tomorrow

BSS, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed is likely to inaugurate the Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2008 at 3 pm on February 1 on the premises of the Bangla Academy in the city.

The Dhaka-Ka centre of the Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the inauguration programme live at 1000 kilowatts medium wave that is 693 kilohertz, and at 100 short wave that is 4750 kilohertz, said an official handout.

All regional centres of the Bangladesh Betar will simultaneously relay the programme.