Following the recent Bangladesh visit of the Global CEO of Telenor Group, more than 400 former deprived employees of Grameenphone (GP) held a peaceful and well-organized mass gathering in front of GP House yesterday.
The program was observed on Wednesday, 15 April, in protest against the authorities’ inaction over the payment of dues (WPPF and 5% delay penalty) owed to 4,000 worker families for the past 15 years, and to demand swift resolution in accordance with international labor standards.
Speakers at the gathering expressed frustration, stating that despite the Telenor CEO’s recent optimism regarding “Smart Bangladesh” and “improved labor standards,” no reflection of such commitments has been seen over the past 15 years. On the contrary, even after 17 months of continuous আন্দোলন (movement), the company has shown no effective initiative or willingness to settle the dues of 4,000 families. They said that such a stance by a leading multinational company like Grameenphone contradicts Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and global ethical standards.
Influence and judicial delay allegations
The speakers further alleged that over the past one and a half decades, during every political transition, the company attempted to suppress workers’ voices by using traditional influence-based politics. They claimed that judicial procrastination has been used as a tool to deliberately block workers’ “Right to Remedy.”
They added that many colleagues have already died due to financial hardship and lack of proper medical treatment while waiting to receive their dues, and thousands of families are now living in inhumane conditions—an extreme violation of human rights.
Workers’ demands
Convener of the council, Abu Shadat Md. Shoaib, said:
“The development roadmap recently presented by the Telenor CEO in Dhaka will only be credible when the outstanding dues of 4,000 families are paid. Although we have shown utmost respect for the law for the past 16 years, GP management has treated our patience as weakness. We want the current government to compel Telenor to resolve this crisis in line with its global business commitments and international standards.”
One of the key coordinators of the movement, Adiba Zerin Chowdhury, drew the attention of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, stating:
“Honourable Prime Minister, Telenor’s new investment commitments will only be meaningful when the company resolves its 15-year-old unresolved labor dispute. No institution can achieve true sustainable development while withholding the lawful dues of 4,000 families. We believe that under your leadership, this new Bangladesh will not repeat past influence-driven practices; rather, justice for every worker will be ensured in accordance with international standards (OECD & UN). We seek your kind and urgent intervention to resolve this humanitarian crisis permanently.”
Call for dialogue
At the end of the gathering, the workers clearly stated that they seek not conflict but a prompt and dignified resolution through constructive dialogue. However, they warned that if their demands are not met, their peaceful and lawful আন্দোলন (movement) will continue both domestically and internationally.
DBTech/ADJ/MUIM/OR
