NAZIR: I am sure we can find some extra work (his hands move towards

her breast) for you in my office.

Puja halts Nazirs advancing hand with her own and removes it with
diplomacy. The other workers look at her. Embarrassed she lowers her head
and examines the cloth before her picking at imperfections.

SHAMIN: Bossmy babies have no food and my hands are sore.

NAZIR: Just who do you think you are talking to? (Nazir raises his hands
and slaps Shamin across the face) Less talking and more action.

Shamin hangs her head. She is hurting but she cannot react.

AKASH: Boss. You have not paid.

Nazir turns quickly and snaps at Akash.

NAZIR: Akash you are the floor manager. It is your responsibility. You can
pay this lot once this order is complete.

AKASH: Yes boss.

Nariz moves back to his position in front of the pillar.

AKASH: Back to worksew, sew sew!

Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:41 PM
Deleted: ..
Soft Instrumental Musical refrain of Work Song. Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:40 PM
Deleted: sow
Prompter rings the bell. Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:40 PM
Deleted: sow
At stage left from the SG Babu runs to the stage shouting. He is holding a
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:41 PM
garment. Deleted: sow

BABU: Boss! Boss! Boss!.

NAZIR: Yes Babu what is it?

BABU: Boss! Problem! The buyers are unhappy with this product. Poor
quality. Look here. Handing the garment to Nazir for inspection. Poor
stitching. We will lose this order if you do not fix it.

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NAZIR: (enraged) Look at this! Moving towards Fariha. What is this?

FARIHA: I dont boss.

NAZIR: I dont know. Asabhya jatira loka! (*) What do you know?
I should have given this job to one of my other factories.
That does it! You will work late until you finish this order and be warned if
it is not to my satisfaction you will not be paid!

Nazir motions to Puja with a shake of his head. He then gestures to Babu to
follow him. Nazir and Puja exit stage right to the SG.
After a little time Puja arises from her workstation. She straightens her
salwar kameez and unties her hair. As she moves to exit stage right the other
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:41 PM
workers look disapprovingly. Comment: Translate all Bengali language.

SHAMIN: Theres a tiger on the land and a crocodile in the water.

(*Dangae Bagh jole kumir)
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:42 PM
Comment: Translate.
Puja hesitates.then quickly exits the stage.

Instrumental Musical refrain of Work Song.

As the song plays Akash takes position at down stage left and opens a
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:42 PM
newspaper to read. Deleted: postion

FARIHA: How can we ever be free from this slavery?

AKASH: Quiet girl (looking over) Work!

Barsha signals to the others to come closer and huddle together center
stage.

SABA: (whispering to the others) He cuts our bonus.

ROHAN: Takes signatures on blank paper.

TAHMID: Fires workers without pay.

Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:42 PM
Comment: Make sure all characters are in the
MITHEE: And we work for what? cast list.

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CHANDNI: 20 taka an hour.
(* Hourly rate reported on Al Jazeera program Counting the Cost, May 25th
2013.)

SHAMIN: But we have been safe here.not like our sisters and brothers in
Rana plaza.

MITHEE: Say a prayer for their souls.

Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:43 PM
Deleted: prey
A reflective moment fills the space as they contemplate the tragedy of Rana
Plaza.

FARIHA: I wish we could do something.

BARSHA: We can do something!

SHAMIN: What can we do?

BARSHA: Read this. She produces a piece of paper from her pocket. A
white lady gave this to me. Handing the pamphlet to Shamin

SHAMIN: What does it say? I can not read.

BARSHA: It says that people in other factories are forming unions.

SHAMIN: Whats a union.

BARSHA: If we join together as one voice we are a union. A union is

mechanism that can help us protect our rights. Together we have barging
power. Together we can place pressure on the boss.

SHAMIN: But that sounds dangerous.

BARSHA: The white lady told me we have rights.

TAHMID: Those crazy white people. Their brains go pink like their skin
when they are in the sun.

FARIHA: This is not a joke Tahmid. We need better treatment!

13
BARSHA: And fight for what is right for us.

CHANDNI: We need to strike!

SHAMIN: But he will throw us out with no money!

BARSHA: Not if we stick together! Who will he get to work for him?

TAHMID: Girls like Puja?

FARIHA: Stop it Tahmid.

A slight pause

CHANDNI: (determined) Unite.

ROHAN: Unite.

SABA: Unite.

MITHEE: Unite!

BARSHA: Unite!

The all look at Shamin with anticpation. Sheepishly she half raises her fist.

SHAMIN: (apologetically) Unite?

ALL: Unite, Untie, Unite, Unite!!!

The sound grows to a deafening volume.

Akash is startled and with over exaggerated comic gestures he fumbles to
get up and runs to exit stage right towards the SG yelling.

AKASH: Boss! Boss! Boss!...BIG PROBLEM!

The workers freeze in a tableau

Lalon moves from his hair to the front of the stage. He looks up and down at
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:43 PM
tableau then address the audience. Comment: ??? What?

14
LOLAN: Looks like trouble. (snickering) Lolan picks up and opens the
newspaper that Akash dropped on the stage. Looking over it he questions
Comrades, do you know the name Mohammed Mujibul Haque?

Pause

LOLAN: He is the labor minister or our beloved country. And did you know
that only 10 percent of the garment factories of Bangladesh have a trade
union?

Pause

LOLAN: Did you know that many workers have made applications to form
a union and that those applications have been denied?

Pause

LOLAN: reading the paper It says (the countrys labor minister, Haque
dismissed concerns raised about the difficulty of registering a union, saying,
Most who apply for union registration have no idea what a union is.)
< https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/21/bangladesh-garment-workers-
union-rights-bleak>

Lolan crumples up the newspaper and nonchalantly drops it on the stage.

He moves back to his chair and sits.
The tableau unfreezes.

ALL: Unite, Untie, Unite, Unite!!!

Nazir followed by Akash appear stage right from the SG.

NAZIR: Just what is going on here? What is the racket!

BARSHA: As workers we unite!

ALL: Unite! Unite! Unite!

BARSHA: And together we are a union!

15
ALL: Yeah!

NAZIR: (with a scoff) A union.

BARSHA: And we want our money!

ALL: Yeah!

NAZIR: I told you! Once the work is done.

FARIHA: NO! We need the money now!

ALL: Yeah!

NAZIR: I can not pay before the.

CHANDNI: Then we will strike!

ALL: Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!

NAZIR: Enough! Enough! Ok. Give me a moment.

The workers look pleased. The workers are feeling the power of group
action.

NAZIR: I do not have money on me now. (gesturing to empty pockets)

CHANDNI: Funny how the rich never have any money.

NAZIR: You must understand. Like you I do not get paid until the order is
done.

CHANDNI: Do you treat the workers from your other factories this way?

BARSHA: Maybe we should talk to them.

NAZIR: Look! I shall go and get you some money!

CHANDNI: All of the money!

16
NAZIR: I can get you half of the money.

Pause.

The group looks at each other for consensus.

When their eyes meet upon Shamin she nods with slight humiliation.
At that moment Tahmid gestures approval with the limp of a wrists.

CHANDNI: Ok but how can we trust you?

NAZIR: (pointing to Barsha and Fariha) You two come with me.

The group acknowledges success.

NAZIR: The rest of you get back to work.

The group nod and stager to their workstations with an air of confidence

Nazir, Barsha and Fariha walk to exit stage right.

Nazir looks at the girls.

NAZIR: Go to the car.

As the girls walk away.

NAZIR: Barsha!

BARSHA: Yes boss.

NAZIR: Water.

The girls exit SR.

NAZIR: Akash!

AKASH: Yes boss.

17
Nazir removes a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and offers one to
Akash. Akash declines the offer. Nazir lights the cigarette and starts to
smoke.

NAZIR: This is your fault. It is your job to supervise the floor. I cannot
afford to have these nirbodhera * getting the upper hand. Lock the gates!
Microsoft Office User 8/15/17 3:44 PM
I do not need this infection to spread. Comment: I assume the asterix means you
intend to translate somewhere.
AKASH: Yes boss.

Akash takes one of the large pieces of material from the stage ties one end to
the hands of a worker and surrounds the rest of the workers on stage with it.
Binding them together. The workers continue their gestures of working as if
nothing is happening.

NAZIR: Akash

AKASH: Yes Boss

Nazir produces a bundle of money from inside his pocket. He holds in front
of Akash.

NAZIR: Take this.

AKASH: What will I do?

NAZIR: I dont know! Go home to your village and visit your mother. Do
what you want but disappear you hear me! Do not speak of this day to
anyone.

AKASH: Boss?

NAZIR: Take it and go. Remember.disappear!

Akash snatches the bundle of money and runs of stage quickly shouting..

AKASH: OH heavenly Daulatdia*.here I come!

(Daulatdia is a brothel district 100km west of Dhaka)

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As Akash exits Barsha enters SR carrying a glass of water.
Nazir hands the lit cigarette to Barsah for her to hold. He takes the glass of
water and gulps it down allowing it to spill upon his shirt and run down his
chin.
He burps and hands Barsha the empty glass whilst taking back the cigarette
and continues smoking. He looks Barsah up and down, undressing her with
his eyes. He then dismisses her with the wave of his hand.

Barsha exits SR.

Nazir is in contemplation as he smokes. With a large slow gesture of his arm

he flicks the cigarette into the newspaper crumbled on the stage.
The workers ensemble track the trajectory of the cigarette and watch it land
upon the newspaper. In unison they gasp and struggle to break free from the
cloths that binds them together.

Nazir sniggers then exits stage right.

SABA: Fire!

TAHMID: Fire!

ROHAN: FIRE!!

SHAMIN: FIRE!!

CHANDNI: FIRE!!!

Cue music for fire!

The ensemble struggles within the cloth pulling it over their heads. The
ensemble pushes and pulls within the stretchy fabric screaming. Until all
signs of life are diminished.

The prompter rings the bell.

PROMPTER: End scene.

Lolan hops up from his chair and moves to down stage left.
The ensemble collect the cloth and exit SL and SR.

19
The stagehand places the chair slightly right of center stage and places a
policemans hat underneath it. The chair is angled towards the pillar at
down stage left. Entering from SR an actor takes position upon the chair.

The prompter rings the bell.

PROMPTER: A News Report!

Music cue 4: News report theme.

SCENE THREE

Lolan moves to down stage left. His sits crossed legged at the edge of the
stage. He turns his body towards the chair and with his right hand gestures
towards the chair making a click sound as if he has turned on the television
with a remote.

REPORTER: Assalamualaikum. Tonight, a major fire engulfs a garment

factory in the Savar Upazila district. Eye witnesses reported hearing screams
and seeing smoke billowing from the factory at around 3pm this afternoon.
Bystanders tried to enter the factory through the main gates but reported they
were unable to open the doors. Due to the intensity of the blaze and the lack
of fire exits rescue workers hold little hope of finding any survivors. Fire
investigators at the scene believe the fire was started from a discarded
cigarette. Police have been questioning the owner of factory and three
employees but so far no charges have been laid. Tonight a community is in
morning from this tragic accident.

The news reported freezes

LOLAN: (with anger) Accident? This is no accident. Remember *Tazreen?

https://cleanclothes.org/news/2016/11/24/four-years-since-the-tazreen-factory-fire-justice-only-half-done
Remember Rana Plaza?
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/04/30/525858799/4-years-after-rana-plaza-tragedy-whats-
changed-for-bangladeshi-garment-workers
Oh sweet beloved homeland when will we ever see change?
Brothers!
Sisters!
We hold the power.
We must speak up to make the change.

20