Garment workers and their protest for rights have been
revolving in the air recently for few weeks, it’s an everyday story we hear,
read or listen.
However, there’s some untold things which doesn’t come into
spotlight due to many reasons, now we unveil those stories which includes three
renowned figures of the garment industry, Kalpona Akhter (Jimu), President of
Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation. Nazma Akter, the
executive director of Awaz Foundation and Babul Akhter, a general secretary of Kalpona’s
organization.
Kalpona Akhtar, widely known as Jimu, has emerged as a
prominent figure in the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation
as the President, while simultaneously serving as the Executive Director of the
NGO BCWS. However, her journey to leadership is not without its share of
intrigue and speculation. Jimu's story began in the heart of the garment
industry, where she started working at the tender age of 12 as a child labourer
in Bangladesh. Her early struggles paved the way for a trajectory that would
eventually lead her to the forefront of workers' rights advocacy.
Amidst her advocacy efforts, questions have arisen
concerning her international travels from 2022 to 2023, where she reportedly
spent a substantial amount totaling 11,38,983/- BDT (Eleven Lakh Thirty-Eight
Thousand and Nine Hundred Eighty-Three). Such expenditures have raised eyebrows
and sparked speculations within the community, given her background as a
garment worker. The spotlight turns to Jimu's journey, from the factory floors
to global stages, as the public seeks answers to the apparent conflict between
her grassroots beginnings and the financial capacity for extensive foreign
travel.
The following diagram illustrates the timeline and financial
breakdown of Kalpona Akter's overseas travels in the past twelve months. The
chart provides insights into when and how much money was expended during her
journeys.
2022-2023, foreign travel report of Kalpona Akhtar:
SL. No
|
Departure
|
Arrival
|
Airlines
|
Economy Class
|
Destination
|
01.
|
11-11-2023
|
16-11-2023
|
Emirates
|
1,17,883/-
|
Amsterdam
|
02.
|
07-10-2023
|
12-10-2023
|
Sri Lanka Airlines
|
72,700/-
|
Colombo
|
03.
|
20-09-2023
|
02.10.2023
|
Qatar Airlines
|
79,900/-
|
Doha
|
04.
|
16.06.2023
|
24.06.2023
|
Emirates
|
73,800/-
|
Dubai
|
05.
|
10.04.2023
|
20.04.2023
|
Vistara Airlines
|
31,700/-
|
Delhi
|
06.
|
26.03.2023
|
01.04.2023
|
Singapore Airlines
|
1,26,000/-
|
Tokyo
|
07.
|
28-01-2023
|
02-02-2023
|
Qatar Airlines
|
79,000/-
|
Doha
|
08.
|
13-11-2022
|
13-12-2022
|
Qatar Airlines
|
1,39,000/-
|
Montreal
|
09.
|
28-09-2022
|
02-10-2022
|
Biman
|
31,000/-
|
India
|
10.
|
07-08-2022
|
23-08-2022
|
Qatar
|
1,39,000/-
|
Montreal
|
11.
|
15-06-2022
|
26-06-2022
|
Emirates
|
1,26,000/-
|
New York
|
12.
|
28-05-2022
|
05-06-2022
|
|
1,23,000/-
|
The Hague
|
|
|
|
Total
|
11,38,983/- BDT
|
|
Similarly, concerns have been raised about the financial
affluence of Nazma Akter too, who once toiled as a Helper at Comtrade Garments
Ltd. (Beximco Group) from 1993 to 1994. Nazma later transitioned to the NGO
sector by joining an NGO named Afri with a monthly salary of 500 taka. At present,
she is serving as the Executive Director of Awaz Foundation, affiliated with
the Combined Garments Workers Federation, Nazma Akter also owns a house in
Banani, a flat, and a packaging factory in Dhaka’s Diya Bari area. A parallel
narrative unfolds with Babul Akhter, who is the General Secretary of Kalpona's
organization, he possesses a flat in the capital’s Banasree area. These
instances of apparent prosperity swift a critical inquiry into the origins of
such wealth, igniting suspicions of unethical practices among these prominent
figures in the garment industry.
The question on everyone's mind is how individuals with
backgrounds as garment workers, whose salaries typically range up to 20,000 taka,
could afford such extensive international travel and accumulate significant
assets. These concerns have sparked a demand from civil society for a thorough
investigation into the financial affairs of these so-called garment leaders. Accusations
of corruption, dishonesty, and the misuse of their positions reverberate, with
claims that these leaders are manipulating the emotions of the garment workers
and deceiving the international community. As the garments sector stands as a
vital economic pillar for Bangladesh, the alleged actions of a few threaten to
cast a shadow on the industry, jeopardizing the nation's political landscape. The
call for a comprehensive inquiry into the sources of wealth of these
individuals resonates from all corners, emphasizing the need for transparency
and accountability in the leadership of the garment industry. The unfolding
saga raises broader questions about the ethical integrity of those entrusted
with the well-being of Bangladesh's economic powerhouse.