Brigadier General (retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain, Adviser to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, has alleged that certain industrial establishments were created with the intention of laundering money.

“Some people have taken loans from banks and smuggled the money abroad. They can’t even pay their workers and have even fled the country. That’s why some factories were shut down, and the government won’t take responsibility for that,” he said.

He made the remarks on Saturday (August 2) at 11:30 am while addressing a view exchange meeting and check distribution event with labor department officials, employees, and trade union leaders at the National Occupational Safety and Health Training and Research Institute (NOSHTRI) in Rajshahi’s Terokhadia area.

“There are still good owners in the country,” he said. “They’re taking care of their workers and doing good business. That’s why exports have gone up by 7 to 8 percent.”

Regarding labor protests, he added, “Workers have every right to protest. Anyone can take to the streets with their demands if they want.”

Earlier in the same building, the Labor Adviser inaugurated a research conference. During the event, he said, “It’s inhumane that there are no toilets in tea gardens. Women workers are getting cancer. There isn’t even access to drinking water.”