I am truly amazed at the decision of opening the garments factories on the pretext of the commitment of shipping garments overseas as part-finished orders need to be finished and then shipped overseas. Hence, bring back all the garments worker to Dhaka and other cities.
This pathetic policy is not only putting the garments workers at grave risk of community spread of the corona virus, it may also devastate our country if the virus spreads like wild fire. This decision is asking for such a horrendous spread of the virus and few seem to be perturbed.
The gatherings of people are the best way of community spreading. This ludicrous decision is counter to all the hard work that the government, its various organs, policing agencies, and the citizens of Bangladesh had so valiantly worked and fought for. The entire country was relearning to adapt to social distancing and safe keeping.
All the gains are coming to naught. This decision may perhaps spark the spread of the coronavirus, especially in the areas where these workers are returning. Does the government have the capacity and wherewithal of controlling the virus in such a densely populated country like ours?
Absolutely not.
Then what level of stupidity are we harbouring by playing with fire and inviting tremendous community risks within busy enclaves by assimilating the workers who had been recently sent to their villages and where they also had interactions with people who recently returned from overseas unchecked?
We seem to be jumping from the pan into the fire. When the West is battling death, who on Earth would be keen on stocking for summer clothes? Perhaps I am missing the point.
If Bangladesh boasts of a sturdy garments industry and we are the poster child in the garments trade globally, then why can’t we pay our workers to stay home for a month? How profanely complicated is the proposition that we feed the garment workers for one month and then restart our factories?
I am sure the world would have understood that it was done for the global good. I am appalled and horrified to see such a massive policy shift overnight. These workers are not chess pieces where their lives do not matter. They are living, breathing human beings like you and I, only poor, deprived of their voice and rights.
Only a week ago they were compelled to leave Dhaka, and within a week the same people are flooding back like rats and chickens with no public facility to bring them back. The owners and management of the factories should have ensured this basic transportation privilege as the workers are human beings, not a herd of cattle and, in all honestly, they are coming back to make their owners even richer.
What evil nexus has been formed with the garments owners and policy-makers I do not know, but I do know that if the garment owners do not have the money to sustain 30 days of wages for their workers, then Bangladesh should not ever boast of its grand garments sector as it is apparent that this sector seems to be like a sand castle waiting to fritter away with a gust of wind.
I hope this is not the true picture, but the sad attitude and lack of gumption from the garments owners paints no other alternate views.
The civil society and political workers must realize that a great amount of injustice has been levied on them at the cost of their lives, especially if the corona virus overtakes them. The decision has long-lasting negative implications for society at large.
All of this, just for the pretext of garment shipments overseas.
I urge humanity to revert this decision and also call upon the legal justice system to review the cascading implications and issue a stay order on this capricious, greedy, and whimsical policy.
Lives matter more than the greedy, overzealous capitalist system. Let us stop this nonsense and promote equity, justice, and health for all, to arrest the flow of the corona virus and prevent it from wiping out millions of citizens only for the greed of a few garments owners.
Ziaur Rahman is CEO, IITM.
