Bangladesh's competitors in the global apparel business such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Pakistan have reopened their factories, although partially.
On March 20, when China reported no new case of coronavirus infection, it started reopening its textile factories in phases.
In the second week of this month, Pakistan reopened some factories amid their national lockdown to counter the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
However, India is yet to reopen their export-oriented apparel factories.
In the US market, China was the top exporter with 30% markets share, while Vietnam held 16% and Bangladesh 7% market share in 2019.
In the EU market, China had 15% market share followed by Bangladesh 10% and Vietnam 2% share in the same period.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh started reopening its apparel factories from Sunday. By April 30, all garment factories across the country have been planned for reopening complying social distancing guidelines.
Earlier, the government said that factories could be reopened by ensuring safety as directed by the Department Of Health.
Economists think factory could be reopened in phases if the safeties of workers are ensured.
“Today or tomorrow, we have to reopen the factories. If a manufacturer can ensure safety for their workers and social and physical distancing as prescribed by the government and the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a logic in reopening factories,” former World Bank lead economist in Dhaka office Zahid Hussain told Dhaka Tribune.
“Reopening would bring benefits to workers, owners and the economy as they are in the crisis.”
Vietnam was active from the very beginning and it had been able to develop protection system and reopened factories, Zahid said adding that policymakers had been overconfident and even sitting idle, which created problems in larger scale.
