Following the government approval for the BGMEA’s and the BKMEA’s appeal for reopening their factories amid the ongoing general holiday due to the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of RMG workers have started arriving in the capital Dhaka and in Narayangonj city. On Sunday, a good number of factories reopened on a limited scale complying with strict health safety guidelines. However, workers were seen expressing their dissatisfaction regarding the health safety issue.
Earlier Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) had appealed for government approval for reopening some factories citing that they were under pressure from the buyers to send their products as per the signed orders.
The government approved the appeal of the two apex bodies of the country’s garment industry with strict instruction of not to bring workers from outside Dhaka for the time being.
On Saturday night BGMEA president Rubana Haque sent a letter to the secretary of the labour ministry informing him of the reopening of the factories. The letter read that as global economic activities are resuming, its member factories should also be reopened in phases. In reply, the ministry reminded the BGMEA that authorities concerned must strictly follow the health safety instructions to reopen their factories.
BGMEA has prepared a guideline for its members for production resumption. According to the guideline, factories of Dhaka and Naraynganj reopened on today (Sunday, April 26), factories at Ashulia, Savar, Dhamrai, and Manikganj will reopen within April 28 to April 30, factories at Rupganj, Narshingdhi, Kanchpur will reopen on April 30, factories of Gazipur and Mymenshingh will reopen within May 2 to May 3.
Meanwhile, the apex trade organization of the country, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) held a meeting on the overall business situation of the country on Saturday. The meeting decided to reopen the factories from Sunday (yesterday).
After the meeting, BKMEA’s first vice president Mohammad Hatem said for the betterment of the country’s economy and livelihood of the workers, factories at Dhaka and Narayngaj will open from Sunday. Other factories will be reopened gradually.
Policy Research Institute’s (PRI’s) executive director Ahsan H Mansoor was also present in the meeting. He informed that 84 percent of export orders have reduced only in April. In this situation, it is necessary to try to start production with as few workers as possible. There is a risk of reopening factories in all areas at the same time.
On the other hand, labour organizations are not in favour of starting works in the factory in the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic.
RMG workers are coming to join their respective workplaces for their village homes in different districts boarding on goods-laden trucks, vans and light vehicles, and even many of them are walking distant paths as there is no public transport in the streets due to the ongoing countrywide lockdown for virus pandemic.
According to our district correspondents’ information, RMG workers were trying to come to Dhaka in groups from Saturday morning but they face obstructions for the law enforcement agencies. Many of them were sent back to their villages while many of them stay on the roadside. Later in the darkness of the night, many started their journey in pickup vans risking their lives.
A woman worker said, “We have to join our workplaces at any cost, as we were informed that if we cannot join in the right time we will lose our jobs”. Another woman who started her journey from Netrokona district with a baby in her lap said, “I am going Mymensingh from Netrokona by an auto bike. But I am stuck in the halfway for the whole day due to the police’s obstruction. But I have to join my workplace at 8 am.
Mymensingh Kotawali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahmudul Islam said, “We have not got any instruction regarding garment factories’ reopening. So we are preventing the workers from leaving their residential areas”. RMG workers will be allowed to leave their district as soon the official instruction is received, he added. Meanwhile, huge pressure of passengers was seen at Paturia-Daulatdia, Kathalbari-Shimulia Ferry Ghats.
