Bangladesh: Labour rights group under attackBangladesh: Labour rights group under attack
Act Now
September 2nd 2010: Labour Behind the Label has received reports that Babul Akhter, Babul Akhter, a leader of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) NGO, and General Secretary of the BGIWF trade union, has been physically
assaulted and beaten in police custody. Babul was detained by police on August 13th on fabricated criminal charges for "incitement" of workers.
Click on Act Now above to call on the Government of Banlgadesh to release Mr Akhter and his colleague, Kalpona Akter.
Aug 12, 2010: On the night of August 12 2010, 20 police officers arrested Kalpona Akter and Babul Akhter. They are still being held in detention, accused of between 6 and 8 counts of formenting/inciting unrest. It is unclear if they will be granted bail for all charges and could face weeks in detention prior to any trial commencing.
Kalpona and Babul urgently need your support. Please take action today to call for their release and for the immediate halt to the repression of labour leaders and activists in Banlgadesh.
Bangladesh: Labour rights group under attack
On June 16, a staff member of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) was detained and severely beaten by Bangladeshi security forces. This occurred just two weeks after BCWS was arbitrarily stripped of its legal status as an NGO.
The government stripped BCWS of their NGO registration at the beginning of June 2010, accusing them of inciting unrest in garment factories. They also ordered the confiscation of its property and the freezing of its bank account. Two weeks later a BCWS staff member was detained by National Security Intelligence officers. He was severely beaten before he managed to escape.
BCWS are an internationally renowned labour organisation who were carrying out legitimate organising work. There is no evidence linking them to the unrest that has rocked the industry for several months. Rather, the timing of events suggests that this crackdown against BCWS may be taking place at the behest of a garment factory where workers are attempting to form an independent union.
Over recent weeks thousands of garment workers have been taking to the streets to demand a tripling of the minimum wage to 27 euro-cents per hour. By accusing BCWS of “fomenting unrest and agitation in the garment sector,” the government is signalling that they are not prepared to take seriously the struggles and demands of garment workers, who survive on starvation wages despite working long hours producing for the world's biggest brands.
BCWS and garment workers are now appealing for your help to protect their rights and ensure a dignified wage. Please send an email today to the Government of Bangladesh calling on them to restore the legal status of BCWS and to support BCWS in the vital work they are doing to support the rights of Bangladesh garment workers.
Please take action today to support BCWS and its staff.
