Dhaka:Grant cheques from the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, have been distributed to 583 workers. The event took place at Shramo Bhaban, where Minister of Labour and Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury handed over cheques totaling approximately Taka 5 crore.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the financial support is aimed at covering medical expenses, supporting the families of deceased workers, and assisting with educational costs for the workers' children. The event was chaired by Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Abdur Rahman Tarafder.
Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury stated that this is the largest grant distributed to workers since the current government took office. He emphasized the government's commitment to workers' welfare, highlighting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's focus on improving workers' health and productivity for the country's development. The minister also noted efforts to recover outstanding funds from large establishments that previously did not contribute to the Labour Welfare Foundation.
He stressed the importance of maintaining good relations between employers and workers, suggesting that increased industrial production and revenue could lead to higher wages without the need for street protests. The minister urged workers to report any factory irregularities to labor inspectors and avoid provocations that lead to public disruptions.
The event also saw participation from officials including Director of the Labour Welfare Foundation Syed Irtiza Ahsan, Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Farhad Siddique, and Director General of the Department of Labour Abdus Samad Al Azad. The government expressed its commitment to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder the education of workers' meritorious children.