Sylhet Bureau :
Traders and labourers on Tuesday staged a protest against illegal sale of limestone in open market by cement manufacturer Lafarge Holcim Ltd.
Addressing a protest rally in Chatak of Sunanganj, traders, under the banner of Business- Workers’ Unity, alleged that the company had imported raw materials from India for factory use but it was selling those in open market illegally.
They said that the government incurred a huge revenue loss due to illegal open market sale of imported raw materials.
Convener of the organisation Shakhawat Selim Chowdhury presided over the rally at Traffic Point area of the town. Supporting the protest against the company, the businesses in the Chatak municipality area also observed an hour-long shut down between 12:00pm and 1:00pm. Addressing the protest rally, businesses said that Lafarge Holcim imported the limestone for producing cement and for selling to corporate customers; however, they are now selling the product in open market.
‘It’s an ultimate cheating to the customers as well as the laborers involved in supply chain, they added.
Business leaders further mentioned the company trades limestone in open market despite importing the product as a raw material under industry quota for producing cement. Such illegal activity of Lafarge Holcim has hit livelihood of hundreds of local limestone traders and thousands of laborers, protesters mentioned.
Local traders also decided to wage stronger movement if the multinational company will not stop selling limestone in open market.
