Karooni Fashions shuts Ratanpur unit indefinitely

Karooni Fashions Limited has shut one of its garment units in Kaliakair, Gazipur, indefinitely, affecting around 8,000 workers, under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.

The closure took effect today, according to a notice issued by the factory authorities on July 9.

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The notice said workers at the unit stopped production without prior notice on the afternoon of July 8. Although they entered the factory on the morning of July 9, they refused to resume work despite repeated requests from the management.

Considering the situation, the authorities decided to suspend operations indefinitely from July 11.

The management said the reopening date would be announced separately once the situation normalises. The closure does not apply to the company's knitting section or its other factories under the same ownership.

The factory is located in Ratanpur, Salipur, in Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur.

Workers alleged that the company had been paying monthly wages in instalments instead of in full, making it difficult for them to pay house rent and other essential expenses, and said they had suspended production in protest.

Shafiul Alam, president of the Gazipur Metropolitan unit of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said, "Karooni Fashions Limited has been closed indefinitely under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act."

Quoting the workers, he added, "The workers' dues were not paid properly. When they protested, the management shut down the factory."

"Labour unrest has continued at Karooni Fashions over the past few days. We are monitoring the situation to ensure that no untoward incident occurs following the factory's closure," said Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahidul Islam.

Karooni Fashions Limited Deputy Managing Director Mesbahur Rahaman Khan told The Daily Star: "We have declared the factory closed indefinitely to defuse the labour unrest. However, operations will resume once the situation returns to normal."

Asked about workers' allegations that the company has not been paying wages regularly, he said, "Necessary measures will be taken to address the issue."