Garment Industry in Crisis: BGMEA Warns of 7-Day Factory Closure

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has issued a stern warning to the government, stating that all factories will be closed for seven days if the safety of garment factories is not ensured.

Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, former president of BGMEA, made this announcement at an emergency general meeting held at the BGMEA building in Uttara on Monday, September 23.

The meeting was convened to address the current state of the garment industry, which has been plagued by labor unrest and instability. BGMEA leaders criticized the labor adviser, calling for their resignation if they fail to provide security to the industry.

Parvez emphasized that the garment factories are suffering due to the ongoing labor unrest, and if the government fails to ensure their safety, all factories across the country will be closed for seven days.

The garment industry, which is the main export sector of the country, has been facing instability since the end of last month. Despite efforts by workers, owners, the government, and local politicians to address the situation, factories have been unable to return to normal production.

At the meeting, BGMEA Senior Vice President Abdullah Hill Rakib stated, “Our first call is safety.” He emphasized that factories will not accept a situation where workers can come and go as they please, and still expect to be paid.

BGMEA President Khandaker Rafiqul Islam noted that despite ongoing discussions, the current situation of the garment industry has not improved. He highlighted that increasing wages and increments for garment workers is not possible due to rising electricity and gas prices, industrial inefficiencies, and production costs.

According to BGMEA data, 27 out of 272 export-oriented garment factories in Ashulia district were closed, while 12 factories were on furlough, and 233 factories were operating at normal production levels.