48-hour Deadline to Baghabari Milkvita Ends
Agitating milk producers likely to meet PM this morning
Agitated milk producers are likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this morning as their 48-hour deadline to the management of Baghabari Milkvita ended yesterday.
The milk producers started agitation on Monday demanding removal of Milkvita General Manager within 48 hours, fixing of procurement price of milk at Tk 35 a litre and election to Milkvita co-operative union.
They had threatened to stop milk supply to the factory from today. But sources said, there was no such move till yesterday evening.
Several sources said the farmers would continue to supply the milk while Shahjadpur upazila chairman and upazila Awami League president Hasibur Rahman Swapon said the milk producers will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this morning.
The next course of action by the milk producers will largely depend on the outcome of the meeting, sources said.
Earlier, on Monday the farmers of co-operative societies under the company put up barricade on Bogra-Nagarbari highway to press home their demands.
A huge number of milk producers and leaders of Milkvita managing council took position on the highway in front of the Milkvita office from 11:15am to 12:30pm disrupting traffic movement on the road.
Lawmaker from Ullapara constituency Shafiqul Islam Shafi expressing solidarity with the agitators said the farmers have made three reasonable demands including removal of "illegal" GM.
Chayan Islam, MP from Shahjadpur seat said that a talk in Dhaka on August 24 failed to resolve the issues compelling the farmers to take to the streets again.
He said Milkvita is paying Tk 26 per litre milk whereas it was Tk 32 during the last caretaker government.
Chayan further said, if the GM was not removed by 48 hours the farmers will stop supplying milk to Milkvita from September 2.
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