Workers at work without safety measures in a construction site in the port city. PHOTO: ANURUP KANTI DAS

Domestic migrant workers from different parts of the country muster up confidence in the real estate sector in the port city of Chittagong.
The real estate companies see the port city as the most favourable place for their business next to the capital city. Hundreds of projects are being implemented in the city as well as on the outskirts involving thousands of workers.
Sources said about two lakh workers are working under different projects in the sector in the port city and 80 percent of them are domestic migrant workers. They come here from different districts of the country with their relatives.
Besides, child labour is a common scenario in most of the construction sites.
Belal Hossain, a 22-year-old mason of Mymensingh, said he has been working for seven years here. “At first I worked as a helping hand of the workers for Tk 75 a day,” Belal said, adding that he earns Tk 200 a day as an apprentice while a senior mason gets Tk 400 a day.
Harun, a 24-year-old rod fabricator of Cox's Bazar, said they are living in the city amid hardship as the wage is too poor compared with the price hike of the daily necessities.
Moreover, the contractors and the owners delay in proving the full salary to the workers.They pay the workers half of the wages everyday and the rest give in their needs. Many of the workers complain that they do not get the money on time.
The workers do not get any money if they do not come to work due to illness or any other problem, said the workers.
If a worker falls sick for five to seven days and fails to attend the site, he will not get any payment for those days, Harun said.
Besides, no risk allowance is given though they work without any safety measures.
Even workers who have been working with the construction firm for years do not get any bonus or incentives.
Faruk, a pile-head breaker, said they are to buy drinking water as well as water for domestic uses.
Osman, an earth-cutter, said some realtors present them clothes including sharees, lungis and money in cash on different occasions like Eid-ul-Fitr.
A good number of female workers are also seen alongside the male workers who are engaged in breaking bricks for making concrete. Although they work as same as their male partners but not paid as much as the male worker.
Sheuli of Noakhali said she gets the half wage of a male worker although she works more than them.
Suranjit Mahajan, a civil engineer, said government should make a policy to ensure rights of the labourers working in the real estate sector.
The workers in the sector are not organised to realise their demands, he added.
Kazi Aynul Hoque, former chairman and member of the executive committee of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), Chittagong chapter, said the realtors have taken some initiatives for workers' welfare but they lose their interest in this regard as the workers do not stay at one site for a long time.
Aynul stressed the need for a training institution in Bangladesh to train up the workers of the sector. “Why would you give subsidy to someone if you do not get feedback from him?” Aynul said.
Sources said most of the workers in piling section are from Gaibandha and Shariatpur, in demolition from Noakhali, majority in rod fabrication section are from Bhola, Rajshahi, Thakurgaon, Netrakona, Rangpur and Noakhali, majority of masons are from Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Mymensingh, Rangpur and Bhola, majority in casting section from Barisal and Bhola, majority in carpentry from Rajshahi, Gopalganj, Faridpur and Bikrampur, in plumbing section from Barisal and Comilla and in painting section are from Madaripur, Barisal and Dhaka.