Bidi workers and staff of Dhaka division on Tuesday staged human chain demanding to keep opening bidi’s production and sale and providing alternative jobs for the bidi workers.
Bidi Staff Okkko Parisad and Bidi workers organized the chain in front of Dhaka Press Club around 11:00pm.
M K Bangali, central President of Bidi Workers Federation and its Secretary Abdur Rahman were delivered speech here as the chief guest and special guest respectively.
While addressing the speakers said they know smoking is harmful to health but it will not be tolerated to turn off the bidis without closing foreign cigarettes and the foreign cigarettes should be stopped before local bidis and cigarettes.
The workers also urged to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that she would be kind for the bidi workers like in the past time and the PM will take workers friendly decision, they hoped.
Over 300 leaders and activists attended the chain while central organizing secretary of Bidi Workers Federation conducted the chain.
Earlier the workers raised several demands that includes the existing tariff of bidi industry should be reduced from the fiscal year 2020-21, alternative jobs should be ensured for the bidi workers if the authority take any step to stop bidi production and sale, the salary for them has to be increased, bidi industry should be declared as cottage industry like India and six day work facilities in a week must be ensured for the workers.
Mentioned, the agitation comes after civil society members and a MP recently wrote to the prime minister and the health minister demanding steps to stop production and sale of bidi.
