Garment workers, meritorious children receive financial assistance from labour ministry's central fund

Garment workers and meritorious children of apparel workers were provided with financial assistance from the Central Fund established under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

Nominees of deceased garment workers also received financial aid from the Central Fund, reads a press release.

Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, the state minister for Labour and Employment, as chief guest of the program distributed cheques to the garment workers for medical treatments and handed over education aid to the meritorious children of apparel workers. 

The cheque handover ceremony was held at Noorul Quader Auditorium at BGMEA Complex in Dhaka today (8 April).

This cheque handover ceremony was presided over by BGMEA President SM Mannan (Kochi). 

Key dignitaries present at the ceremony included Md Siddiqur Rahman, former president of BGMEA and current Industries and Trade Affairs secretary of Bangladesh Awami League; Md Mahbub Hossain, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, senior vice President of BGMEA; Md Nasir Uddin, vice president of BGMEA; along with Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA); and Dr Mollah Jalal Uddin, director general, the Central Fund.

BGMEA Directors Md Imranur Rahman, Mohammad Sohel Sadat, Rajiv Chowdhury, Md Nurul Islam, and leaders of different labour rights organisations were also present at the programme. 

The recent board meeting of the Central Fund, held on 3 April 2024, approved the decision of financial aid to 386 nominees of deceased workers, medical assistance to 3108 workers, and educational support to 366 children of garment workers. 

The government of Bangladesh established the central fund to be used for workers' welfare purposes. Export-oriented garment factories have been financially contributing since 2016 to the central fund from their export receipts.