NGWF President Amirul Haque Amin, against whom Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and BGMEA President Atiqul Islam recently brought allegation of ‘treason through secretly sending letter with fake information’ to US
Congressmen, refuted the allegations in a statement on Saturday.
Amin, also member of the Sramik Karmachary Oikya Parishad (SKOP) Steering Committee and Workers Party Central Committee, in counter attack condemned the BGMEA President’s statement as ‘false, fabricated and motivated’.
The BGMEA President at a function attended by Commerce Minister Tofail
Ahmed at the BGMEA auditorium on June 22 urged the Minister to immediately take legal action against Amin for ‘treason and hatching conspiracy against the country’. In reply, Tofail Ahmed was critical of the NGWF President, IndustriAll IBC Chairman and BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan and General Secretary and Awami League (AL) leader Roy Romesh Chandra.
Atiqul Islam’s statement drew global media coverage and western attention. The US State Department on Thursday expressed concern over BGMEA’s call to the government and issued a veil threat that the country would have to pay if labour safety and labour rights are not improved in Bangladesh RMG sector immediately.
Amin, in his statement, said, “BGMEA President Atiqul Islam has termed fale and baseless the incident of torture on labour leader at Valuka (Mymensingh). It is not at all true. National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) Valuka branch president Moniruzzaman Monir was kidnapped and tortured by factory management’s goons’ on May 21. On the following day, the terrorists looted NGWF local office and Monir’s residence and took away everything.”
Refuting the BGMEA President’s claim that NGWF did not inform the BGMEA, Labour Ministry and Home Ministry or police department and sent letter informing the US Congressmen, Amin said, “We had informed the BGMEA President about the torture on May 22 through a letter. We had again written to the BGMEA President and Vice-President on May 25. The BGMEA officials had received those.”
“On the same day, we had lodged complain to the Minister, State Minister and Secretary of the Labour Ministry, the State Minister and Secretary of the Home Ministry,” Amin said, adding, ” The NGWF lodged complain to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General of Industrial Police and Police Superientedent of Mymensingh on May 27. We have received copies with us.”
“The NGWF held a protest rally in front of the National Press Club on May 25, which was addressed by leaders of the Workers Party, SKOP, trade unions, youth and student organization. News of that rally was covered by at least 10 newspapers, including some English newspapers. The news of the torture incident reached the US Congressmen through on-line version of the English newspapers,” Amin said.
