Manufacturing at the major readymade garment (RMG) industrial hubs in Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur were back to normal on Monday and there were no reports of protests, roadblocks, or demonstrations in these areas.
The situation has returned to normal after the recent wave of protests over the last two weeks.
According to the sources, nine factories were closed in Ashulia, Savar, and Gazipur on Monday.
Three of the six closed factories in Savar and Ashulia were closed under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, which follows a “no work, no pay” rule.
The other three factories reopened but had to close again when workers refused to work or started protests.
Anjuman Design Ltd, Ayesha Clothing Ltd, and Risingtex Ltd were shut down under Section 13(1). Generation Next Fashions Ltd, Ethical Garments, and Al Muslim Apparels Ltd were opened, but these factories were later closed when workers left.
Despite these closures, 98% of the 407 factories in Savar and Ashulia remained operational. In Gazipur, 99.89% of the 876 factories were functioning, and in the DMP area, 99.67% of 302 factories were operational.
Nationally, 99.58% of factories or 2,135 out of 2,144, factories operated normally.
A source from the RMG sector said that the garment sector is the largest industrial sector in the country, with more than 2,000 factory units.
RMG manufacturers demand soft loan
The manufacturers said that the protests have weakened the once-strong factories, leading to production halts. Several factories are experiencing financial difficulties, which may result in challenges with paying wages.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Khandoker Rafiqul Islam said: “Some larger groups are using revenue from their other factory units to cover the workers' wages and allowances.
"Approximately 39 factories are facing a production loss of almost 460 days due to protests, where a single factory faced a production loss of the highest 23 days. This has significantly impacted their financial stability. Therefore, we urgently require financial assistance in the form of soft loans from the government."
He also said that these 39 factories have nearly 60,000 workers. On Monday, they requested a soft loan from the finance adviser to pay their workers’ wages within seven working days.
In the letter, he urged the finance adviser to arrange an interest-free soft loan for the 39 factories that were badly affected in order to pay wages worth Tk59 crore to their workers.
Almost 100% of factories are operational
Nationally, 99.58% of factories, or 2,135 out of 2,144, operated normally on Monday, where nine were declared closed.
Regarding this, a source from the sector said that even during regular times, 10-20 factories may be closed due to various reasons among so many factories. Therefore, the closure of nine factories nationally is not a big issue.
He also said: “Some factories may be temporarily closed for financial reasons, and some may take time to open. But now, as many factories are operational, it can be said that almost 100% are operational.”
"There are at least six major industrial hubs in the country, out of which only Savar and Ashulia had the most problems. In Gazipur, except for two or three factories, the number of closed factories was negligible. But there was no problem in hubs like Chittagong, Narayanganj, DMP, Narsingdi," he added.
The sources also said that instead of seeing it as such a big issue, they should focus on keeping the production sustainable. Almost all major brands are committed to the orders, which need more attention.
On Sunday, 20 labour associations demanded the government implement the 18-point tripartite agreement between the manufacturers, the workers, and the government and sought justice for the garment workers killed during recent protests.
In a joint press conference, the leaders urged all parties to avoid repressive measures against workers and act responsibly.
They also called on workers to refrain from spreading rumours or misinformation that could destabilize the situation. The labour leaders urged workers to be cautious of any attempts to disrupt production.
On Saturday, in a discussion of the BGMEA members organized by the forum panel, the manufacturers said that the ongoing labour unrest is not due to any kind of labour movement or labour dissatisfaction but rather due to a plot by some vested interest group to destroy the industry.
As the labour unrest continues even after the workers have accepted all their demands, it can be understood that a third party is behind the unrest, they said.
