Police block ‘Tathya Apa’ workers’ march towards Jamuna

Workers of the ‘Tathya Apa’ project under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs attempted to march towards the Chief Adviser’s residence in Jamuna but were stopped by police. Following the blockade, the workers staged a sit-in on Kakrail Mosque Road.

On Sunday morning (June 1), after 10:30 AM, the project workers sat down on the road while moving towards Jamuna.

Since May 28, ‘Tathya Apa’ workers have been conducting a hunger strike in front of the National Press Club, demanding fulfillment of four key demands. Several workers fell ill during the strike and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The workers have since reduced their demands to two main points: the creation of permanent government posts for all project staff and their transfer to the revenue budget, as well as the immediate payment of withheld salaries and allowances.

According to the workers, they joined the project in November 2018 after passing competitive examinations similar to other government jobs. Currently, 1,968 workers serve across 492 upazilas, including one Information Service Officer (Grade 10), two Information Service Assistants (Grade 16), and one Office Assistant (Grade 20) at each information center.

The workers provide critical information and assistance on eight key areas: women’s health, education, agriculture, law, gender, business, family planning, and cybersecurity.

Despite their essential role at the grassroots level, the workers express frustration that their demands have yet to be met.