According to The Sun Daily on May 27th, the Bangladesh Darangbari district Beti cigarette workers' union organized a public meeting and presented seven demands aimed at improving the working conditions of Beti cigarette workers.
President Amin Uddin of the Bangladesh Bidi Sisters Association Federation hosted the event, while Abdul Hasnat Lovlu, Secretary of the Bidi Sisters Association Alliance in Lalmonirhat District, also presided over the event. Mustafizur Rahman, Mayor of the Lalmonirhat Municipal Corporation, attended the event as the chief guest.
Other speakers include Nazim Uddin, Vice President of the Bangladesh Beedi Workers Union, Anwar Hossain, Abdul Ghafoor, General Secretary, Shamim Islam, Organization Secretary, and Lutfar Rahman, Joint Organization Secretary.
Workers' other demands include declaring the bidi industry as a household cottage industry, halting the brokerage business of British American Tobacco, shutting down illegal bidi factories, and increasing the price of a pack of 10 low-end Shalaka bidi cigarettes from 45 taka (0.38 US dollars) to 65 taka (0.56 US dollars) by multinational corporations.
Mayor Mustafizar Rahman emphasized the need to protect the local, ancient, labor-intensive bidi tobacco industry from the schemes of foreign multinational companies.
He emphasized that there are approximately 2 million workers across the country who make a living by working in bidi factories. In order to protect the livelihoods and employment of these workers, he advocates for the removal of bidi tariffs, categorizing the bidi industry as a cottage industry, and increasing the wages of the workers. The meeting highlighted the urgent needs of bidi workers and called for immediate action to meet their demands.
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