Only food, drugs and tannery out of lockdown measure, BGMEA demand not met

All industries, but food production plant, pharmaceuticals and tanneries, will be banned from operating during the fresh lockdown starting from July 23 to August 5 to stem the Covid-19 pandemic.

The apex trade body -- BGMEA -- has long been demanding that the industrial sector be kept out of the purview of the upcoming lockdown, or at least be let to operate from July 23 to July 31.

The Cabinet Division on Monday issued a gazette notification that did not take into consideration the demand from the business community. Md Rezaul Karim, deputy secretary of the Cabinet Division, signed the gazette.

According to it, during this period, food and food production factories, sacrificial raw hide collection, transportation and preservation of rawhide, pharmaceuticals, oxygen and Covid-19 equipment production will be out of the restriction.

However, the business leaders called upon the government to protect their workers from Covid-19.

On July 13, the government decided in principle to enforce the lockdown from July 23 to August 5 on recommendation from the National Technical Advisory Committee for Covid-19.

On July 15, RMG and textile leaders sent a letter to the Prime Minister for continuing production during lockdown.

That day RMG and Textile sectors led by Exporters Association of Bangladesh president Abdus Salam Murshedy met the cabinet secretary in the latter office where they proposed the same issue.

On the other hand, Tanners Association of Bangladesh also urged the commerce ministry for keep the raw hide sector out of the lockdown.

Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission also gave recommendation to the commerce ministry to keep food production out of the purview of restrictions considering continuing supply chain of essential products.

The Ministry of Commerce sent all proposals to the Cabinet Division and declared gazette following a review by the National Technical Advisory Committee for Covid-19.

The BGMEA said it will request the government to allow it running the factories from August 1.

“If the situation does not deteriorate, we will urge the government to allow us running the factories from August 1. This is needed to retain the buyers and timely shipment,” Shahidullah Azim, Vice-President of BGMEA told The Business Post.