Photo: Collected
Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury has said the present government is working by giving the highest priority to the safety, protection of rights and overall welfare of working women.
He said this on Friday morning while visiting the ‘Working Women’s Hostel and Labour Welfare Centre’ built for women workers in the Kalurghat industrial area of Chattogram city.
He said the necessary steps would be taken in coordination with all the parties concerned with the aim of quickly opening this hostel and labour welfare centre built for the working women of the Kalurghat industrial area.
According to the minister, at least two lakh workers work in the Kalurghat industrial area, a large portion of whom are women. The facility will play an important role in resolving various crises of working women, including safety, housing and medical care. During the visit, he toured the entire centre, including the hostel and the five-bed hospital.
He said several hundred crore taka of government money has been invested in this facility, but for various reasons it has not yet been possible to open it. A decision on what the future of the building will be and how it can be used for the welfare of working women will be taken after reviewing all the legal and technical aspects. To this end, efforts will be made to reach a coordinated decision through discussions with the mayor, the area’s member of parliament and all the parties concerned.
Present at the time were Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain, Labour and Employment Ministry Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarafder, officials of the labour welfare organisation, representatives of the contracting firm Sena Kalyan Sangstha, officials at various levels of the administration and local political leaders.
