In July and August 2024 a mass uprising of workers and students in Bangladesh toppled the fascist regime of Sheik Hasina and her Awami League in Bangladesh.
Numerous capitalist leaders of the regime owned garment factories throughout the country, including hundreds of members of the national parliament.
One of the most significant supporters of the regime was the owner of the Beximco corporate group which employed 22,000 garment workers in Bangladesh.
Salman F Rahman not only controlled the company, sat as an Awami League parliamentarian, but was also an investment advisor to Sheikh Hasina. Following the uprising, he attempted to flee to India but was captured by police.
Amid investigations into corrupt conduct, the factories have been shut and workers are owed huge amounts of unpaid wages and entitlements.
In December, workers protested over the failure to pay their entitlements and Beximco owners lodged outrageous legal actions against workers and union leaders in retaliation. Thousands of unnamed defendants were charged which means workers seeking to claim months of unpaid wages could be arrested. It is a foul attempt to stop workers demanding pay by weaponising a broken justice system.
Worse, 37 workers and union leaders were arrested and some remain in jail.
Khorshed Alam is the President of the Ashulia Branch of the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF). GWUF is the most militant and strongest genuine union for garment workers in Bangladesh. Ashulia is the region of Dhaka where many garment factories operate. It is also where some of the worst atrocities of the military and police were perpetrated during the 2024 uprising – with hundreds of workers and students murdered on the streets.
Khorshed is 35, married and was a garment worker before leading GWUF in Ashulia. He has been in jail since January. He was jailed for leading the protests of workers for their owed wages. Protests directed at a mega wealthy conglomerate responsible for leaving tens of thousands of workers unpaid. Despite Beximco being directly involved in the fascist regime which was toppled in 2024, the legal system continues to be at its disposal to incarcerate and victimise union leaders.
We call on the Bangladeshi interim government to immediately intervene and release all political prisoners including Khorshed Alam.
