2013 Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights - Bangladesh
| Publisher | International Trade Union Confederation |
| Publication Date | 6 June 2013 |
| Cite as | International Trade Union Confederation, 2013 Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights - Bangladesh, 6 June 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51b8517f51.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Violence and interference in strike action: On 30 January 2012, at least 40 workers were attacked and injured by company security guards from Rashida Knitting and Ware Limited and Megha Textile Ltd in the Ishwardi Export Processing Zone when they protested against dismissals without prior notice and non-payment of annual leave.
Violence and interference in collective bargaining: On 12 February 2012, the President and the General Secretary of the Coats Bangladesh Ltd. Employees Union (CBLEU) attempted to enter negotiations regarding an industrial dispute at the Tejgaon Industrial Area in Dhaka. Management confiscated their mobile phones and forcibly detained them over night.
Murder of trade unionists: Aminul Islam, an organiser at the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, was found dead in April 2012. In 2010, he had been arrested and tortured by police and intelligence services.
Violence and interference in demonstrations: On 13 May 2012, workers employed at the Ha-Meem Group protested about management violence against workers. Police intervened in the demonstrations which led to the injury of at least 100 workers.
At least 100 garment, knitting and packaging factories in Ashulia were shut for a day on 11 June 2012 after hundreds of workers of Artistic Design, a packaging factory in the Ha-Meem Group located in Narasinghapur, staged a demonstration demanding a pay rise. Thousands of workers from garment factories along the highway stretching from Narasinghapur to Banglabazar joined the demonstration. The police attacked the workers with batons to free the road leaving 10 people injured.
In July 2012, three workers who had participated in demonstrations demanding pay rises were shot by the security forces.
On 16 September 2012, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at tens of thousands of garment workers who were demonstrating in a key industrial area outside Dhaka, demanding a reduction in working hours. Two policemen and about 50 workers were injured during the clashes.
