Salehuddin promises quick solution to ongoing industrial unrest

Salehuddin Ahmed, the finance and commerce adviser, has said the current industrial unrest, chaos, and worker dissatisfaction in Bangladesh will be resolved soon.

When asked whether political parties are instigating the situation, he replied: "Many political parties are cooperating with us. Those who are instigating are also being monitored, but most parties are helping us."

Ahmed made these remarks to the media on Sunday after a meeting at the Bangladesh Institute of Journalism and Electronic Media, or BIJEM, in Dhaka’s Agargaon.

He said: "Our primary responsibility is to listen to their (workers’) concerns. We are in talks with the factory owners.

"Police alone cannot handle it; the army and the Border Guard Bangladesh, or BGB, are working together. I'm also in discussions with the commerce ministry and trade bodies. We will have further meetings on Sunday and Monday. All stakeholders are participating, and strong messages have been conveyed to the major players. The issue will be resolved soon," he added.

On the question of why the interim government has not yet dismantled the syndicates, despite leadership changes, he said: "It won't happen overnight. We are gradually taking steps.

"It's not that we are unaware of them; we will take further action. We need your support."

Regarding extortion, he said: "We have asked the deputy commissioners to take stricter measures."

He also said: "Commodity prices have decreased, but we aim to ensure that producers get a fair price."

When asked about the completion timeline for the second nuclear power plant in Rooppur, the finance advisor said: "We will meet with the Rooppur technical team in a couple of days. Some work remains incomplete, including some aspects of transmission."

Meanwhile, the central bank is currently operating with only two deputy governors following the forced resignation of the then-governor and deputy governors during the recent power transition.

When questioned about the delay in appointing new governors, Salehuddin replied: "You will know soon."