BGMEA for reopening factories in phases

Production in factories grinds to a halt since the industrial units have been kept shut following government-announced lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus. The situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the Bangladesh economy profoundly.

Meanwhile, other affected countries have already opened their economies on a limited scale. Taking this into consider, the taskforce to handle the coronavirus situation in the country has advised the garment and textile industries to reopen their units in three phases. 

As per the decision, the factories located in Dhaka city will reopen from today (Sunday). But the condition is that the owners won’t bring in any workers from outside Dhaka – they can only depend on the workers who live nearby the factories.

The workers, who live in villages and can’t join work in this lockdown, will get their salaries and Eid bonuses in due time through their mobile bank accounts, and they won’t lose their jobs, said the sources in the taskforce. 

As per decision of the taskforce, BGMEA member factories located in Dhaka city will reopen on April 26, 27, and 28.

Factories in Ashulia, Savar and Dhamrai and Manikganj will be reopened on April 28, 29 and 30 respectively while the units in Rupganj, Narsingdi and Kanchpur will be reopened on April 30.

The units in Gazipur and Mymensingh will reopen on May 2 and 3 respectively.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, chief coordinator of the taskforce and former president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said workers living nearby the factories will join the work initially.

Workers living in villages won’t need to join the work, he said, adding that their wages and bonuses would be paid directly into their accounts.

They will join the work once the situation returns to normalcy, he said, ensuring that they won’t lose their jobs.

Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said the member mills will re-start production initially with their respective residential workers as well as the workers living nearby the factories.

They cannot bring in workers from outside, he said, adding salaries and other allowances would be paid. 

Fazle Shamim Ehsan, former vice-president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said those industrial units, for instance dyeing and knitting sections, will be opened first where workers usually maintain a distance of 10-12 feet while working.     

The workers who cannot join the work in this situation won’t be affected, he also reiterated. 

Kazi Iftekhar Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, said they want the garment units to get functional again.

But he advised that relevant experts have to be included in the decision-making process on how things can be done properly.  

Priority should be given to ensuring the workers’ safety, he added. 

Sirajul Islam Rony, president of the Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League, said garment factories should be reopened on a limited scale, taking into consideration workers’ safety.   

If the production stops, the whole economy will suffer affecting all the quarters, he added.

/at/teb