The country’s RMG manufacturers and exporters are apprehensive of shipment delay ahead of the Christmas Day as the recent strike called by the Jamaat-e-Islami leads to disruption in production and supply chain of raw materials.
Jamaat called a three-day strike on Thursday, Sunday and Monday in protest against the capital punishment of its Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.
The party enforced a 24-hour shutdown from 6am on Thursday. It also called another 48-hour hartal on Sunday and Tuesday.
A war crimes tribunal sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Motiur Rahman Nizami to death for masterminding intellectual killings in 1971 and committing crimes against humanity during Liberation War in collaboration with Pakistani occupation forces.
RMG entrepreneurs are apprehending further strikes in the days to come as the verdicts for other war criminals are in the offing.
If so, manufacturing of the apparel items would be affected badly while dirupting the associated supplies, they said.
The exporters face a year-end rush in December to ship their orders ahead of Christmas, the biggest festival of Christian community.
“The biggest problem during hartal is transportation as it disrupts supply chain and shipment,” said Shahidullah Azim, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) vice-president.
Though the factory does not stay closed during general strikes, the presence of workers remains very thin, thus causing a decline in production, said Azim.
“We would not be able to complete shipment in due time if this situation continues,” Azim said, calling upon the government to take appropriate measures for smooth operation of export and import.
Bangladesh Truck and Covered-Van Owners association General Secretary Rustom Ali Khan said: “If the government assures us of security, we will carry shipment.”
It will be impossible to ply trucks or covered van on the roads during hartal unless police escort the goods-laden vehicles, he added.
During the last year’s political unrest and strikes around 500 trucks and covered vans were torched.
“The RMG sector is still in crisis due to safety issues, and if the hartal makes the environment hazardous, the buyers would lose confidence in Bangladesh and will not
place any orders,” said Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, chairman of Evince Group.
On the other hand, the exporters would be unable to complete shipment in due time, which might bring in a huge loss for the exporters as they have to ship the products by Air or have to give a discount in case of failure to meet any deadline.
If the situation deteriorates, it would tarnish the image of the country which was, however, restored after the last year’s violence, he added.
According to the BGMEA survey, RMG sector incurred a production loss of Tk11,750 crore, over $60 million due to cancellation of orders, $21 million for air freight and $22 million as discount for delay shipment last year.
