bdnews24.com :
Police in New Jersey have detained and sued 27, including three Bangladeshis, when they were demonstrating in front of the headquarters of a garments retailer.
They were demanding compensation it had promised for those harmed in Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity’s Executive Director Kalpona Akhter said she and the others were detained from in front of The Children’s Place on Thursday morning (local time).
Police released them on bail after two hours, she said.
They were sued on charges of defiant trespassing, she added. The two other Bangladeshis sued are Mahinur Rahman, a garment factory worker who survived the Rana Plaza collapse, and another worker ‘Tousif’.
The others are US citizens.
Secaucus Detective Sergeant Michael Torres told bdnews24.com that the Bangladeshis freed on bail would have to appear before the Municipal Court on Mar 24.
The Children’s Place, along with other top retailers, was also selling garments made by a factory housed in Rana Plaza. At least 1,130 died, most of them workers of five garment factories, when the Rana Plaza at Savar collapsed on Apr 24, 2013.
A fund, titled ‘Rana Plaza Donner Trust Fund’, was raised to collect 30 million US dollar to compensate the families of those died or injured in the collapse.
The Children’s Place had promised $ 8 million but has given $ 4.5 million until now.
International Labour Rights Forum and United Students Against Sweatshops organised the demonstration in front of the garments retailer demanding rest of the compensation it had promised.
Workers leader Kalpona Akter said they were heading for the office of the chief executive of The Children’s Place to submit a memorandum at one stage of their ‘peaceful demonstration’.
“No one barred us or forbid us from entering the office at that time. Secaucus police came at one stage and detained us. They handcuffed and took us to the Secaucus Police Station using a van,” she said.
Human rights and workers rights activists and lawyers spoke to the police when they came to know about the arrests.
Sergeant Torres said police arrived at the place at once after getting a call from the Children’s Place.
They asked the protesters to move away as they were in an unauthorised area, he said. The demonstrators did not comply with the instruction of the police who then arrested 27 of them.
Kalpona said such demonstrations would also be held in New York and some other places in this week with the help of US students.
Police in New Jersey have detained and sued 27, including three Bangladeshis, when they were demonstrating in front of the headquarters of a garments retailer.
They were demanding compensation it had promised for those harmed in Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity’s Executive Director Kalpona Akhter said she and the others were detained from in front of The Children’s Place on Thursday morning (local time).
Police released them on bail after two hours, she said.
They were sued on charges of defiant trespassing, she added. The two other Bangladeshis sued are Mahinur Rahman, a garment factory worker who survived the Rana Plaza collapse, and another worker ‘Tousif’.
The others are US citizens.
Secaucus Detective Sergeant Michael Torres told bdnews24.com that the Bangladeshis freed on bail would have to appear before the Municipal Court on Mar 24.
The Children’s Place, along with other top retailers, was also selling garments made by a factory housed in Rana Plaza. At least 1,130 died, most of them workers of five garment factories, when the Rana Plaza at Savar collapsed on Apr 24, 2013.
A fund, titled ‘Rana Plaza Donner Trust Fund’, was raised to collect 30 million US dollar to compensate the families of those died or injured in the collapse.
The Children’s Place had promised $ 8 million but has given $ 4.5 million until now.
International Labour Rights Forum and United Students Against Sweatshops organised the demonstration in front of the garments retailer demanding rest of the compensation it had promised.
Workers leader Kalpona Akter said they were heading for the office of the chief executive of The Children’s Place to submit a memorandum at one stage of their ‘peaceful demonstration’.
“No one barred us or forbid us from entering the office at that time. Secaucus police came at one stage and detained us. They handcuffed and took us to the Secaucus Police Station using a van,” she said.
Human rights and workers rights activists and lawyers spoke to the police when they came to know about the arrests.
Sergeant Torres said police arrived at the place at once after getting a call from the Children’s Place.
They asked the protesters to move away as they were in an unauthorised area, he said. The demonstrators did not comply with the instruction of the police who then arrested 27 of them.
Kalpona said such demonstrations would also be held in New York and some other places in this week with the help of US students.
