Sanofi employees take to street demanding compensation

The employees of Sanofi Bangladesh Limited have staged a sit-in programme in the capital, demanding the payment of their compensation and benefits before the company signs a deal with a third party.

The employees, under the platform Sanofi Bangladesh Limited employees Welfare Association, took to the street in front of the headquarters of the Paris-based company in Segunbagicha of the capital on Wednesday afternoon.

Around two hundred workers of the company took part in the demonstration from 2pm to 5pm.

Sanjeev Kumar Chakraborty, general secretary of Sanofi Bangladesh Limited Employees Welfare Association, said, "We organised the programme as we are worried about realization of our compensation and benefits."

He also warned that they will go on a nationwide sit-in programme from tomorrow if the demands are not met within 10pm today.

On 14 October last year, the country chair and managing director of Sanofi Bangladesh declared to handover 55% ownership of the company to a third party by March, 2021, triggering uncertainty among the local workers and employees.

Later, a statement on 16 October, 2019, stated that the product sale of the company will continue in the country even if the mother company relinquishes its ownership.

Sanofi has been manufacturing drugs in Bangladesh for more than six decades, under the supervision of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).

The French company has been conducting its business in Bangladesh since 1958. Some 45.36% ownership of the company is owned by the Government of Bangladesh.

However, Sanofi is going to be the second company after GlaxoSmithKline to leave Bangladesh.