The stay will continue till a regular bench of the HC takes up the writ for hearing after court reopens on January 3.

Twenty-two Korean investors at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) filed the writ challenging legitimacy of the government notice.

On January 31, 2001, the government issued a notification allowing trade unions to operate in the EPZs following pressure from different US labour organisations.

Washington has been threatening the government with scraping generalised system of preference (GSP) of trade if the TU was not allowed in the EPZs from January next.

With only six days to the US deadline, Bangladesh is yet to take a decision.

A high-powered committee led by Amanullah Aman, state minister for labour and employment, also failed to make any concrete recommendations on the issue, sources said.

The issue was scheduled for discussion at cabinet meeting, but it was not raised at the last meeting due to unknown reasons, they added.

Meanwhile, a ministerial team led by Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman visited the EPZs on Monday and talked to workers and employees there.

Saifur has also called a high-profile meeting next week to decide on the issue, sources said.