BEPZA pays salary arrears of Tk16cr to workers auctioning off Avant Garde Fashion

Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has paid salary and other benefits arrears of 1,049 workers by auctioning off Ms Avant Garde Fashion Ltd, a closed factory of Dhaka EPZ (DEPZ).

The due payments were disbursed in a programme Sunday (18 September) organised by DEPZ by which Tk16.10 crore arrears would be paid to the workers in phases.

DEPZ Executive Director Abdus Sobhan handed over pay orders to 10 workers of their salary and other benefits arrears in the programme. The remaining workers will get their arrears from their bank accounts.

Abdus Sobhan said, "We always give top priority to workers' dues. In continuation of this, we paid a total of Tk18.22 crore owed to the workers of previously closed factory A-One BD Ltd.

"Last Sunday (11 September), a total of Tk30.02 crore of 2,083 workers of M/s Shine Fashion Company (PVT) Ltd was paid, and today we are paying the dues of the workers of Avant Garde Fashion Ltd. We hope you all trust us. We always stand by the workers," he added.

BEPZA terminated the land lease agreement with the factory on 9 May 2021 and assured that it would make arrangements to pay all the dues of the workers.