Jashore municipality initiates garbage cleaning, workers on strike

Cleaning workers of Jashore Municipality are on strike for the 4th consecutive day. However, on Friday (February 9), the municipality started collecting garbage from some places in the city. Although there are still piles of dirt in most places.

Demanding the implementation of the labor law including the payment of wages to clean workers, stop the misuse of power facilities and continue the supply, this afternoon. Municipal Labor Sangram Parishad has submitted the memorandum to District Commissioner Mohammad Abraul Hasan Majumder.

The environment is getting polluted and leaving all the roads. Another private employee, Sazzadul Alam, said, “The work trip goes to all areas of the city. Everywhere I saw similar filth lying, cows and dogs dragging the filth due to which the stench spread everywhere.” School teacher, Shafiqul Islam, said that for the last four days, the smell has been spreading due to the dirt being in one place.

There is no way to walk on the road. Meanwhile, Hiran Lala Sarkar, General Secretary of Jashore Municipal Workers' Union, said, "We have submitted a memorandum with our demands to the District Commissioner today. The District Commissioner assured us that he would restore the electricity connection soon but now it is evening, still the power line has not come."

Ranjan of railway station Harijnapalli said, " Our forefathers and ancestors have worked here since British rule. They initially received low wages but had electricity. After enduring these conditions for a while, the previous mayor implemented a monthly salary of Tk3,000. However, the current mayor has unexpectedly taken actions against us after three years in office. Without increased salaries and electricity, how can we support our families? Initially, only the railway station in Harijan Palli lost power, but now two areas in Dhaka Road Harijan Palli and Harijan Palli of the old municipality have also been disconnected. We must now consider our next steps.” Mokchimul Bari Apu, the panel mayor of Jessore municipality, said that people of Harijanpally use electricity as they want because they don't pay electricity bills. Any thought of saving electricity comes to their mind.

Electricity bills of crores of taka are outstanding. The municipality took this decision out of compulsion. He also said that it will take a day or two to clean the dirt because of the pile of dirt for a few days.

He said that all the garbage in wards three, four and five of the municipality has been cleaned. All the dirt will be cleaned by tomorrow. He also said that Harijan community cleaners will not get any salary increase and will have to pay the electricity bill but they could not agree with us.