Former employees demonstrate outside GP House in capital

Former employees demonstrate outside GP House in capital on Tuesday 4 Jan 2025

Dhaka, Feb 4 - Hundreds of laid-off and former Grameenphone workers staged a demonstration outside GP House in Dhaka’s Bashundhara on Tuesday, demanding their share of the company’s profits along with penalties for delayed payments.

The protest, organised by the Laid-Off and Deprived Grameenphone Workers Unity Council, is part of a movement that began on December 2, 2024, aimed at securing three key demands, according to a press release.

More than 200 former employees from different divisions and districts participated in the demonstration, where labour leaders accused Grameenphone of deliberately delaying payments owed to workers.

At the gathering, labour leaders alleged that in 2010, Grameenphone ignored a government directive and filed a writ petition in the High Court to block the distribution of 5% of its profits to employees.

Despite a 2014 court ruling in favour of the workers, the company only released the principal amount in 2015 after continued pressure, they said. However, penalties for delayed payments remain unresolved. Protesters claim that Grameenphone has used legal maneuvers to stall the process and deprive them of their rightful dues.

Following further legal action by the workers, Grameenphone withdrew its pending writ petition in 2023, they added.

Speakers at the protest further alleged that since 2010, around 3,300 permanent workers have been forced to leave their jobs through what they described as “unethical and inhumane practices.” They blamed certain company officials and union leaders, whom they accused of colluding with the previous Awami League government.

Additionally, protest leaders accused Grameenphone of engaging in corruption, worker exploitation, and tax evasion worth hundreds of crores of taka.

At the end of the demonstration, labour leaders called on Grameenphone to immediately enter discussions to resolve the issue. They warned that if their demands are not met promptly, they will escalate their movement with continuous protests and larger demonstrations. - UNB