Twenty-nine eminent citizenson Wednesday came up with a joint-statement to express their solidarity with the demands of the workers of Swan Garments and Swan Jeans for getting their wages and festival bonus before Eid-ul-Fitr.

The 29 citizens are - professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury; Eminent journalist and cultural activist Kamal Lohani; National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports convener Engineer Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah; language movement veteran Col (Rtd) SD Ahmed; Dr Shafiuddin Ahmed; Prof MM Akash; AN Rasheda; Prof Ashrafuzzaman Selim; Prof Dr Mohammad Abu Sayeed; Prof Azizur Rahman; Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan; Emtiaz Mahmud; Prof Samina Lutfa; Zubaida Nasreen Kona; Dr Kazi Roqibul Islam; Engineer Nimai Ganguly; Dr Tanuz Kanti Dey; Avinu Kibria Islam; Altaf Parvez; Pavel Partha; Parvez Alam; Dr Salma Chowdhury; Dr Moyna Talukdar; MA
Aziz Miah; Maria Hossain; Sheikh Abdus Salam; Rebeka Sultana; Anurag Chakma; Naima Nigar; and Mohammad Nuruzzaman.

Workers of Swan Garments (Pvt.) Ltd and Swan Jeans Ltd have been demonstrating from July 12 demanding payment of all outstanding wages of three months from April-June before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Their calls are likely to fall on deaf ears as the factories suspended their operations on April 10. The owner, a Hong Kong national, fled the country three days later.

UNB/RI