No alternative to jabbing workers

For retaining the export growth and keeping the economy afloat, there is no alternative to mass vaccination of apparel workers, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said on Sunday.

Thanking the government for initiating vaccination programme for apparel workers as frontliners, the business leader came up with the remark while visiting vaccination of employees and workers of Mithela Group in Narayanganj that started on Saturday.

“If we want to keep the factory running and give buyers confidence, we will have to bring all the workers under vaccination,” said Hassan.

“We are grateful to the government as it gave the opportunity to vaccinate workers. Right now, we need to ensure mass vaccination,” said Hassan also managing director of Giant Group.

As per the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) data, the sector needs around 70 lakh doses of vaccines jab around 35 lakh apparel workers. As of yesterday, about 40,000 apparel workers were vaccinated.

He requested all members and stakeholders of apparel sector to follow health safety guidelines, especially wearing mask to minimise the risk of Covid-19 infections.

Among others, Nazrul Islam Babu, MP, Mithela Group Chairman Azahar Khan, Upazila Health and Family Planning Office Dr. Saima Afroz Eva were present at the vaccination programme.

The Mithela Group workers received the Covid-19 vaccines as part of the programme launched by the government on July 18 to vaccinate apparel workers in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) requested the government to bring garment workers under vaccination on a priority basis, considering them as frontline workers who are engaged in economic activities of the country braving the pandemic.