Since the interim government took office, dismissed Grameenphone employees have been staging regular protests in front of GP House in Baridhara, Dhaka. Accusing the company of unlawful termination, the retrenched workers have been demanding reinstatement, payment of their rightful dues, and a delayed penalty on 5% of the company’s profit.
Continuing their demonstrations, the Chakrichyuto O Odhikar Bonchito Grameenphone Shromik Oikya Parishad (Union of Dismissed and Disenfranchised Grameenphone Workers) organized a rally on Tuesday (February 4) at 10:00 AM, with around 200 participants. In response to the ongoing sit-in, additional police personnel were deployed inside and outside GP House.
During the protest, demonstrators held placards and chanted slogans such as “We demand our rightful dues, not charity,” “Punishment for guilty GP management personnel,” “We want justice,” and “One demand, one solution—give us 5% of the profit.” Some placards also warned company management and alleged informants within the organization.
Participants in the sit-in accused Grameenphone of operating with a “monster mentality” and arbitrarily dismissing employees without any prior notice or valid reason. They alleged that many workers were suddenly fired via email, with no prior warning. According to them, a total of 3,360 employees were dismissed between 2010 and 2022.
Abu Sadat Md. Shoeb, Convener of the Chakrichyuto O Odhikar Bonchito Grameenphone Shromik Oikya Parishad, stated, “We have been protesting for a long time to demand the reinstatement of dismissed workers, our rightful dues, and action against officials involved in anti-worker policies. Our movement will continue until our demands are met.”