ACVCSCIASIA.ORG, BANGLADESH – According to reports, Shahidul Islam and other officials from the Bangladesh Federation of Garment and Industry Workers (BGIWF) went to the Prince Jacquard Sweater factory in Gazipur to resolve a wage dispute at the request of workers. Factory workers owed more than two months’ salary.
While leaving the factory, BGIWF officials were viciously attacked by a gang leaving Shahidul Islam with fatal injuries.
Acting Secretary General of ITUC Luc Triangle said: “This is a terrible event. We express our solidarity with the international trade union movement to the family and friends of Shahidul Islam and his colleagues at BGIWF. Their fight is our fight and we immediately condemn this violence.
“But this is not the first killing of trade union officials in Bangladesh and we call on the government there to fulfill its obligations under international law to protect the right to organize.
“In addition, we encourage global brands sourcing products from factories in Bangladesh to carry out human rights due diligence in their supply chains. Brands must use their influence to ensure respect for human rights and international labor standards in law and practice. There is no reason to do business with anyone who does not respect fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of association. They must hold their suppliers accountable for their respect for workers’ rights.”
In the 2022 ITUC Global Rights Index, Bangladesh is one of the ten worst countries for workers with a rating of 5 – no rights guarantees. (RED/ITUC)
