Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Switzerland-based international development organisation, has come forward with consultancy assistance to set up shops at RMG factories to sell goods at comparatively lower prices to the workers.
Under the initiative, about 80,000 people (20,000 female workers and 60,000 family members) are likely to get benefits.
This announcement came at a kick-off meeting titled ‘RMG Workers’ Access to Affordable Nutritious and Safe Food’ at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday.
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GAIN organised the meeting with the participation of partner organizations and stakeholders to chalk out future strategy on technical assistance and how to make the initiative success.
Mohammad Ehsan-E-Elahi, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, attended the meeting as chief guest while Moniruzzaman Bipul, portfolio lead of GAIN Bangladesh, delivered the welcome address and GM Reza Sumon, manager of workforce nutrition project of GAIN Bangladesh, presented the keynote paper.
With Dr Rudaba Khondker, country director of GAIN Bangladesh, in the chair at the meeting where Dr Hasan Shariar Kabir, director general of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council and Faruque Hassan, president of BGMEA, among others spoke at the event.
It was shared at the meeting that the project aims at ensuring access to nutritious foods for RMG workers with affordable prices and strengthening the food marketing management.
It also aims at working for ensuring nutritious and safe foods for RMG workers so that they can play more productive role for production in the RMG sector.
Praising the initiative, Mohammad Ehsan-E-Elahi called for the expansion of such facility to other factories across the country.
Speakers said it is imperative to give priority to the issue of safe and nutritious food for the workers, for implementing the government’s Perspective Plan 2021-2041 and achieving SDGs.
The speakers called upon those involved in production, processing, supply and marketing of foods to establish fair price shops with nutritious foods at factory areas along with encouraging the workers to take such foods.
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Mentionable, several shops have so far been set up at two factories at Ashulia and Gazipur with the support of GAIN. About 15,000 RMG workers along with their family members are entitled to buy essentials from those shops with a special discount.
Source: United News of Bangladesh