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Dhaka Thursday,  Mar 28, 2024

Barapukuria Coal Mine Workers Suspend Strike

EB Report

Production was halted at Bangladesh’s lone coalfield after workers went on strike on Sunday demanding job regularisation

Dinajpur’s agitating coal mine workers, demanding job regularisation, have suspended their strike after the district administration promised them a meeting with power ministry officials.

At the proposed meeting, the workers’ demand will be discussed and a decision will be taken. However, no approximate date has been fixed.

Deputy Commissioner Meer Khairul Alam, Barapukuria Coal Mine Managing Director SMN Awrangajeb and other officials sat with the workers, led by their union chief Rabiul Islam on Tuesday.

After a 12-hour meeting, an understanding was reached and the workers ended their demonstration around 2:30am on Wednesday.

Production was halted at Bangladesh’s only coalfield after workers went on strike on Sunday. Five of the workers had fallen sick during the sit-in protests.

The demonstrators say 1,041 workers had been working at the mine for a daily wage of Tk300 – a meagre amount compared to the risks that have to be taken.

The workers have been demonstrating since 2011 demanding regularisation of jobs.

Last month, after the workers’ agitation began, the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd promised to accept their demand by January 7.

There was no word on job regularisation by the date and the workers started a sit-in protest on Sunday. They went on an indefinite strike from Monday.

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