CEPZ Factories Shutting Down: Workers’ Voices Could Not Be Silenced Despite Media Suppression of Crisis

Special Correspondent

At least 20 factories in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) have closed or are on the verge of closing in the past year due to various economic crises including work stoppages, inability to import raw materials, etc. This has brought extreme disaster to the lives of more than half a million workers.

A source at CEPZ says that seven factories have closed in the last one month. Among them, the ownership of one of the closed denim factories has changed, sources say. The process of transferring the ownership of that factory to one of the leading denim manufacturing groups in the country has been completed.

According to reliable sources related to the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), factories have been warned not to make the news public or to report it to the media if any factory is closed or if any complications arise, including salary and allowances. If the news of what is happening inside the BEPZA-controlled area is reported to the press, it will create instability in the country; and if political unrest occurs, it can affect the overall economy of the country.

At the same time, if foreign buyers lose confidence, uncertainty may also affect the business of other operating factories. This message has been given to various companies in the CPZ.

However, it is impossible to cover up such news where millions of workers are working.

Meanwhile, thousands of workers from two closed factories have taken to the streets today, Wednesday, September 24. They blocked the Airport Road in the Freeport area of ​​Chittagong from 9 am. This created a long traffic jam. The common people using this road are suffering immensely.

It is learnt that there are about 3,000 workers in two factories of NASA Group in CEPZ. The owners have announced the closure of the two factories from October. As a result, the workers have gone on a protest demanding unpaid wages.

Chittagong Industrial Police SP Abdullah Al Mahmud said, “The owners have announced the closure of two factories. Now the workers have blocked the road demanding outstanding salaries and allowances. We have persuaded them and removed them from the main road.”

The workers said that the workers of our two factories are owed several months’ salary. Instead of taking that salary, they announced the closure of the factory. Where will we go with all these workers? It would have been a relief if we had received the outstanding salary. But they are not giving that either.

A source said that talks are underway with the owners and workers. However, the aggrieved workers have gathered in front of the factory. They are chanting slogans like ‘I will not accept the black contract that cheats the workers, I will not accept it’, ‘I will not let them suck the blood of the workers’… etc.