Apparel exporters want factories open amid 'strict' lockdown

Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Fearing relocation of work orders, apparel exporters want to run their factories amid the strict lockdown to be enforced from Wednesday.

On Friday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said that the government would enforce a strict lockdown for a week from April 14 and except emergency services, all government and private offices and factories will remain closed.

This is aimed at reining in the spread of COVID-19, which went up sharply in the last couple of weeks.

“We are running the factoring by maintaining the health guidelines of the government, International Labour Organization and World Health Organization and the rate of infection is very insignificant,” Faruque Hassan, BGMEA president-hopeful told the Business Post.

Three organisations of apparel exporters would come up with the demand at a news briefing on Sunday.

The age of workers is ranging from 18 to 30 years and they have herd immunity. As a result, the infection rate is very low at 0.003 per cent, said Hassan, also managing director of Giant Group.

“It is time to place work orders for the next season and the brands and buyers are now placing work orders. Our competitors like India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Myanmar are keeping their factories open. If we close our factories, there is a possibility of flying orders to those countries," said Hassan.

However, the sector people said that they would cooperate to comply with the government decisions and directives on health safety issues.

Meanwhile, the exporters also said that keeping factories closed would leave exporters in trouble to pay wages and bonus.

“If the production halts, it would delay the shipment of work orders in progress, which may lead to cancellation or delay the payment,’’ Mohammad Hatem, first vice president of BKMEA told The Business Post.

In case of work order cancellation or delayed payment, it would leave the factory owners to pay workers’ wages in time and might create unrest in the sector, said Hatem.

On the other hand, workers will leave for home immediate after the closure of factories and it will risk the health safety as it was noticed during the lockdown last year, said the business leader.

"In the given context, we are leading to comply with government guidelines in ensuring health safety similarly requesting to allow running the factory for the sake of the workers as well as the country," he added.

Meanwhile, Syed Nurul Islam director of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association also asked the government to allow to run textile mills and accessories factories as it supplied fabrics and accessories products for the sector.

This is for the sake of over 50 lakh workers, most of whom are women, hailing from the rural areas, he said.

Islam, also Chief Executive Officer of Well Group, pledged to comply with health safety guidelines.

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