Workers Could Be Paid Tk 30,000–40,000 if Bureaucratic Costs Are Reduced: Masuduzzaman Masud

Business owners could afford to pay workers Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 per month if excessive government-related expenses, licensing fees, and bureaucratic harassment were reduced, said former president of the Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Masuduzzaman Masud.

He made the remarks at an exchange meeting on the recent industrial situation in Narayanganj and workers' wages, held on Wednesday at the Chamber building in Chandmari.

The meeting was chaired by Narayanganj-1 lawmaker and Chamber President Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu.

Highlighting the challenges faced by businesses, Masuduzzaman Masud said, "If we did not have to pay you people, we could have paid workers Tk 40,000 instead of Tk 30,000."

He said businesses face additional financial burdens from various institutional events, customs fees, demands from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), licence renewals and other official procedures.

According to him, businesses have had to spend lakhs and even crores of taka over the years to complete paperwork and meet various administrative requirements. Such expenses place considerable pressure on business owners and make it difficult to provide workers with the wages and benefits they deserve.

Calling for government intervention, the business leader strongly advocated introducing a One-Stop Service system. He said simplifying administrative procedures, reducing unnecessary official expenses and ending harassment would significantly lower the cost of doing business.

He also criticised what he described as misconceptions about the business community among sections of civil society and intellectual circles. He said businesses are sometimes portrayed in the media as exploiting workers through false promises and denying them their rightful wages.

However, he argued that many people fail to understand the challenges business owners face in keeping factories operational while managing administrative expenses and alleged extortion at different stages of doing business.

Masud stressed that creating a business-friendly environment is essential to sustaining industrial operations and improving workers' living standards. He called for effective measures to ensure transparency, simplify government services and eliminate unnecessary costs and irregularities.

His remarks have renewed discussion on the challenges facing industrial businesses in Narayanganj. Observers say that protecting workers' rights while ensuring the sustainability of industries requires administrative reforms, transparency, and stronger efforts to reduce corruption and bureaucratic complications.