Photo shows a notice issued by Multifabs Limited Collected

After an image of an official notice went viral, Multifabs Limitedwas mostly criticized by the netizens

Social media in Bangladesh has been abuzz over the past few days, after it was found that a company has made it mandatory for all of its staff and employees, who are Muslims,to say prayers three times every day.

After an image of an official notice went viral, Multifabs Limitedwas mostly criticized by the netizens. But the group of companies also managed to receive a bit of positive feedback from the conservatives.

Multifabsemploys at least 5,500 people in different factories, including readymade garment.

On February 9, ithad issued the notice, ordering all it’son duty staffs to attend prayers three times or waqts—Zuhr, Asr and Maghrib—at the factory mosques and put their fingerprints in the biometric attendance systemafter every waqt, everyday.

The notice, signed by Multifabs LimitedAssistant General Manager [HRand Admin] Md Abu Shehab, was addressed to all section chiefs, managers, assistant mangers and all other officers — essentially asking them to make sure the employees were following the order.

The notice said that salary or wage equivalent of a single day will be deductedif any employee is found that he or she did not say prayers for at least seven times in a month.

It did not say anything about the non-Muslim employees.

Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 has no provision that addresses such issue.

Apart from criticisms and support, many on social media wondered whether a company canforce its employees to pray as the practice of praying is supposed to be a personal matter.

Reached for comment over the phone, Multifabs LimitedExecutive Director Abdul Quddus confirmed Dhaka Tribune that the notice was issued to encourage the employees to say prayers.

“We do maintain a very friendly relationship between all our staffs and management, as most of our staffs have worked for our company for a long time. We issued the notice to all, but it does not mean we will be rigid in implementing this,” he claimed.

When asked why the notice said salaries will bededucted if it was only issued to encourage people to say prayers, he said: “This was mentioned just to put some pressure on them to make sure they try.”