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May 25, 2006
Union officials arrested,
beaten and tortured in Bangladesh following
workers protests
 Action
urgently needed: contact embassies now!
Dear friends,
Most of you will have read in the media
about the very serious protests of garment
workers in Bangladesh. Two workers are confirmed
dead (informal reports speak of five), hundreds
have been injured, and at least over a hundred
factories have been torched in riots over
the past few days. After a worker from FS
factory in Gazipur (producing among others
for Auchan, H&M, Gap, M&S, Inditex,
Tesco and Next) was shot by the police,
the fighting spread to the Savar EPZ and
further, workers tended to single out factories
where there had been problems including
Universe Garments, Bandhu and A-One.
The protesters call particularly for and
end to the low wages and long working hours.
Given the unsafe conditions and the almost
complete lack of respect for workers fundamental
rights, particularly the right to organize
and to bargain (including the development
of functional industrial relations and grievance
mechanisms ) it should come as no surprise
that people take to the streets.
Over the past year CCC has regularly called
attention to the need for structural measures
to end the consistent and ongoing violations
in the Bangladeshi garment industry, repeatedly
warning that workers are getting desperate
and frustrated. With great persistence we,
together with unions and NGOs in Bangladesh,
have called upon brands, the Bangladeshi
government, factory owners and their associations
to take immediate action. This has resulted
in a lot of talk but minimal concrete improvements
in the lives of the workers. Clearly, many
of them by now feel they have nothing to
lose.
Instead of launching an immediate investigation
into the root cause of the riots and measures
to address them, as called for also by the
ITGLWF, the government yesterday had the
police arrest several union officials, either
in their offices or on the road (none of
them at the protests). One was released
yesterday evening, but this evening (24
may) Dhaka time, BIGUF received reliable
information that all three of their staff
members who were arrested (two organizers
and one cleaner) had been blindfolded and
severely beaten and tortured by the police.
The lawyer who is helping them reported
that she saw them this afternoon when they
were brought to court. She said they were
given medical aid before they were brought
to the court, and personally saw the bruises
cuts. She also said that the court ordered
that they remain in detention five more
days for further questioning.
They were arrested at the BIGUF office
in Gazipur at about 8AM on May 23, while
doing their office work. They (and BIGUF
officers) have categorically denied that
they were part of the Savar and Dhaka labor
unrest. They're accused of vandalism, destruction
of properties and labor unrest in the garment
industry - case No. 51(5) 06 under Penal
Code 147, 148, 149, 323, 360 and 379.
Police also arrested Garments Workers Unity
Forum President Moshrefa Mishu on May23,
reportedly while she was on her way to a
press conference.
Please contact the Bangladeshi embassy
in your country today (see list below) and
call for their immediate release! This is
matter of great urgency.
Please also contact brands and your own
government (for example via their embassies
in Bangladesh) and express your concern.
May 26, 2006 UPDATE
-
Union leaders bangladesh
released >>
May 31, 2006 UPDATE
Continued
Action Needed: Contact Bangladeshi Authorities
Now! >>
Draft message (please adapt
as you see fit):
Dear Ambassador,
I (my organization) is greatly shocked
to learn that you have arrested, beaten
and tortured a number of union officials
in relation to the worker protests of the
past days, which follows years of neglicence
of workers rights.
I (my organization) call upon you to immediately
release them and instead launch an investigation
in the root causes of the riots, focusing
in particular on the following problems:
-
repression of unions and failure to
respect the right to organize and to
collective bargaining;
-
unfair dismissals of elected worker
representatives
-
excessively long working hours;
-
low rates of basic earnings;
-
abuses in piece rate payments;
-
the late payment of wages;
-
the use of child labour;
-
issues of structural and fire safety
in the sector;
-
the corrupt police practice of charge
sheeting workers on the flimsiest of
evidence;
-
the practice of supervisors acting
as labour contractors and illegally
raking off a percentage of wages;
-
the practice of using hired goons
to terrorise and intimidate workers;
-
the behaviour of the police and other
paramilitary forces when unrest occurs.
Sincerely,
--------------------------------------------
List of Bangladesh embassies
Please check this information since we
haven’t been able to verify all phone/fax
numbers and e-mail addresses. Our excuses
when we have not been able to include the
contact information of the embassy or consulate
in your country.
High Commission of Bangladesh in Canberra,
Australia - Bangladesh High Commission P.O.
Box 5, Red Hill, ACT 2603, Australia. Telephone
: (612) 6290-0511, (612) 6290-0522, (612)6290-0533
(Auto hunting). Fax : (612) 6290-0544, (612)
6290-0566. E-Mail :bdoot.canberra@cyberone.com.au
Embassy of Bangladesh to Manama, Bahrain
- Hse. no. 159, Rd. no. 2004, Block no.
320, Area Hoora P.O. Box nos. 26718 &
23434 Tel.: +973 293 371 to 374 Fax 291
272 Embassy of Bangladesh to Brussels, Belgium
- 29-31 rue Jacques Jordaens, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32-2 640 5500, 640 5606 Fax: 646 5998
Embassy of Bangladesh to Thimphu, Bhutan
- Plot no. IIIG-3, Upper Chubachu Tel.:
+975 22539 Fax: 22629
Embassy of Bangladesh to Brasilia-DF,
Brazil - Shis, QL-10, Conj. O1, Casa 17,
Brasilia DF, Brazil CEP 70468-900 Tel:+55-61
248 4830, 248 4905 Fax: 248 4609
High Commission of Bangladesh to Darussalam,
Brunei - AAR Villa, Simpag 308, House no.
5, Jalan Lamback Kanan Bandar Seri, Begawan
-3685, Brunei Tel: 673-2-394-716 Fax: 673-2-394-715
High Commission of Bangladesh in Ottawa,
Canada - High Commissioner: Aminul Islam
Address: 275 Bank Street, Suit # 302, Ottawa,
Ontario K2P216, Canada. Tel: (613) 236-0139
Fax: (613)-567-3213 email: bdootcanada@iosphere.net
Embassy of Bangladesh to Beijing, China
- 42 Guang Hua Lu, Beijing-100600, China
Tel: 65- 3225 21, 65-323706 Fax: 65-324346
Embassy of Bangladesh to Cairo, Egypt -
47 Ahmed Heshmat Str., Zamalek Tel: +20-2
341 2645, 340 2401 Fax: 341 2631
Embassy of Bangladesh to Paris, France
- 39, Ruf Fri Anger, 75016 Paris, France
Tel: 4651-9033, 4651-9830 (PABX) Fax:4651-9035
Embassy of Bangladesh in Berlin, Germany
– Dovestr. 1, D-10587 Berlin, Germany.
Tel: +49 30-398975-0, Fax: +49 30- 39897510.
E-mail: bdootbn@aol.com
Consulate of Bangladesh to Hong Kong -
Rm. 3807, China Resources Building, 26 Harbour
Rd., Wanchai Tel: +852 827 4278/9 Fax: 827
1916
Embassy of Bangladesh to Rome, Italy -
Via Antonio Bertoloni,14, 00197 Roma, Tel:
+39 068083595 / 068078541, Fax: +39 068084853,
E-mail:info@bangladeshembassyitaly.com
High Commission of Bangladesh to New Delhi,
India - 56 Ring Rd., Lajpat Nagar-III Tel:
+91-11 683 4065, 683 4668, 683 9209, Fax:
683 9237 Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh
to Calcutta, India - 9 Circus Ave., Calcutta
- 700017 Tel: +91-33 247 5208, 247 0341
Fax: 247 0941
Embassy of Bangladesh to Jakarta, Indonesia
- Jalan Situbondo No. 12, Menteng Tel: +62-21
314 1690, 310 2705 Fax: 324 850
Embassy of Bangladesh to Tehran, Iran
- Ave. Gandhi, Str. no. 5, Building no.
14 P.O. Box 11365-3711 Tel: +982-1 682 979
Fax: 883 277
Embassy of Bangladesh to Baghdad, Iraq
- Hse. no. 6, District 14, Sector 929, Hai
Al Babil P.O. Box 2092 Tel: +961 719 0063,
719 6367
Embassy of Bangladesh toTokyo, Japan -
7-45 Shirogane,2 Chome, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
108 Tel: +81-3 34 42 15 01/2 Fax: 34 47
36 76
High Commission of Bangladesh to Nairobi,
Kenya - Ole Odume Str., P.O. Box 41645 Tel:
+254-2 562 815/6 Fax: 562 817
Embassy of Bangladesh to Safat, Kuwait
- Hse. no. 3, Str. no. 14, Block 1, Khaldia
P.O. Box 22344 Safat, 13084 Kuwait Tel:
+965 483 4078 Fax: 483 1603
High Commission of Bangladesh to Surra,
Kuwait - Plot No. 361, Ali Bin Abi Taleb
Street, Block 6, Surra, Kuwait Tel:531-6042,
531-6043 PABX Fax:(965) 531-6041
Embassy of Bangladesh to Seoul, Korea
(S) - #33-5 Hannam 1-Dong Yongsan-Ku P.O.Box
7384 Seoul Tel.: +82-2 796 4065/7 Fax: 790
5313
Embassy of Bangladesh to Tripoli, Libya
- Hadba El-Khadra, Villa Omran El-Wershafani,
P.O. Box 5086, Tripoli Tel:+218-21 903 807,
900 856
Embassy of Bangladesh to Male, Maldives
- Male, Maldives Tel: 00960-330918 High
Commission of Bangladesh to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia - No. 204-1, Jalan Ampang, 50450
Kuala Lumpur Tel: +60-3 242 3271,242 2505,
248 7940 Fax 241 3381
Embassy of Bangladesh to Yango, Myanmar
- 56 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd. P.O. Box 70 Tel:
+95-1 51174, 51378 Fax: 38745
Embassy of Bangladesh to Kathmandu, Nepal
- Naxal, Bhagawati Bahal, GPO Box 789 Tel:
+977-1 414 943, 414 265
Embassy of Bangladesh to Den Haag, Netherlands
- Wassenaarseweg 39, 2596 CG Den Haag. tel:
070- 328 3722, fax: 070 328 3524
Embassy of Bangladesh to Muscat, Oman
- Plot no. 181, Momtaz Area, P.O. Box 3959
Ruwi, Muscat 112 Tel: +968 788 373, 707
462, Fax: 708 495
High Commission of Bangladesh to Islamabad
, Pakistan - House no. 24, Str. no. 28,
F-6/1 Islamabad Tel: +92-51 213 885 Fax:
213 883 Deputy
High Commission of Bangladesh to Karachi,
Pakistan - 9 Choudhury Khaliquzzaman Rd.,
Karachi 0401 Tel: +92-21 516 597, 568 3984
Fax: 568 2303 Embassy of Bangladesh to Manila,
Philippines - 2nd Floor, Universal Re Building,
106 Paseo De Roxas, Makati, Metro Manila
Tel: +63-2 817 5010, 817 5001 Fax: 816 4941
Embassy of Bangladesh to Warsaw, Poland
- UIL, Rejtana 15, M. 20/21, 02516 Warsaw
Tel: +48-22 497 610, 493 075 Fax: 494 266
Embassy of Bangladesh to Doha, Qatar -
Villa No. 13, St no. 810, 42 Ibn Bajah,
No. 2080 Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 671-927,
673-471, Fax: +974 671-190 Embassy of Bangladesh
to Bucharest, Romania - Sos Kiseleff 55,
Villa 6 Tel: +40-1 617 1544/5 Fax: 312 8335
Embassy of Bangladesh to Moscow, Russia
- Zemledelcheski Perulok 6 Tel: +7-95 246
7900 Fax: 248 3185
Embassy of Bangladesh to Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia - Sulaimania, Al-Warud Quarter, House
No. 50, Sulaimania, Riyadh 11693,K.S.A.
Tel:465-5300, 465-1594 Fax:463-3555
Consulate General of Bangladesh to Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia - Kilo 3, Makkah Road, Jeddah
6215, Jeddah 21442 Tel: 687-8665, 689-4712
Fax:680-0392
High Commission of Bangladesh in Singapore
– 101 Thompson Road, #05-04, United
Square, , Singapore 307591, Phone: (65)
6255 0075 Fax: (65) 6255 1824 E-mail: bdoot@singnet.com.sg
Embassy of Bangladesh to Dakar, Senegal
- Immeuble Kebe (7th Floor), Ave. Andre
Paytavin Tel: +221 216 881 Fax: 225 017
High Commission of Bangladesh to Pretoria,
South Africa - 410 Farenden Street, Sunnyside,
Pretoria 0002, South Africa Tel: 27-12-343-2105
Fax: 27-12-343-5222-7, 343-5224
High Commission of Bangladesh to Colombo,
Sri Lanka - 286 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo-7
Tel: +94-1 502 198, 502 397 Fax: 508 123
Embassy of Bangladesh to Madrid, Spain
- C/Diego de Lieon-69, 2nd floor-D, 28006,
Madrid, Spain Tel:(34-1) 4019932, 4017149,
Fax:(34-1) 4029564
Embassy of Bangladesh in Stockholm, Sweden
- Address: Anderstorpvägen 12, 1st.
floor S-171 56 Solna Telephone: (+46) (8)
7305850/51/52 Telefax: (+46) (8) 7305870
E-mail: doot@bangladeshembassy.se and banijya@bangladeshembassy.se
Embassy of Bangladesh to Geneva, Switzerland
- 7 rue Henry Veyrassat, 1202 Geneva Tel:
+41-22 449 340/9 Permament Mission of Bangladesh
to United Nations, Geneva - 65, Rue de Lusannel
202, Geneva, Switzerland Tel:732-5940, 732-5949,
732-1239 Fax: (41-22) 738-4616
Embassy of Bangladesh to Bangkok , Thailand
- Hse. no. 727, Thonglor, Soi-55, Sukhumvit
Rd., Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66-2 392 9437/8
, Fax: 391 8070 Embassy of Bangladesh to
Ankara, Turkey - 78/7-10 Chinnah Caddesi,
Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey Tel: 439-27 50-51
Fax:(312) 439-2408 High Commission of Bangladesh
to London, U.K. - 28 Queen's Gate, SW7 5JA
Tel: +44-171 584 0081 Fax: 225 2130
Embassy of Bangladesh to Washington DC
– U.S.A - Ambassador: K.M. Shehabuddin,
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite
# 300, Washington D.C. 20007. Tel: (202)
342-8372 to 8376, email: BanglaEmb@aol.com
Embassy of Bangladesh to Hanoi, Vietnam
- House No. A, Apartment # 101-108, Van
Phue Diplomatic Area-1, P.O. Box 131, Hanoi,
Vietnam Tel: 84-4-823-1625 Fax:84-4-231628
High Commission of Bangladesh to Harare,
Zimbabwe - No. 8 Berchenough Rd., Alexandra
Park Tel: +263-4 727 004 Fax: 702 720 231
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