Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh resumed work on their own on April 26, 2020, defying the national epidemic prevention lockdown order. Most of the workforce in the garment manufacturing industry is made up of disadvantaged women, and the unauthorized resumption of work in factories has raised concerns that these workers are exposed to the risk of contracting the new coronavirus.
Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, well-known international brands have canceled or suspended orders worth billions of dollars, severely hitting the apparel manufacturing industry. In Bangladesh, almost all export earnings come from this industry.
The factory closed down at the end of March this year due to the impact of the epidemic, but some suppliers said that retailers were urging them to fulfill unshipped orders.
Haitem, vice chairman of the Bangladesh Knitted Garment Industry and Exporters Association, said: We must accept the new coronavirus as a part of life. If we do not open our doors, there will be an economic crisis. .
He said that part of the production line of a factory owned by his company that produces clothing for the British brand Primark and other retailers has resumed operation.
He also said that clothing brands put pressure on factories to meet orders before export deadlines, and factories are worried that billions of dollars in orders will be transferred to places such as Vietnam or China. of other competitors.
More than 4 million workers work in thousands of garment factories in Bangladesh. Last year, the country delivered US$35 billion in related products to H&M, Inditex Group and Walmart. (Walmart) and other retailers are second only to China in size.
Hundreds of factories located in the industrial areas of Gazipur and Ashulia resumed operations over the weekend. Police spokesman Alan said that about 200,000 people may return to work in the Assuria industrial zone alone.
Labourer Hossen said he had to go back to work. Hotson receives a monthly salary of $115.
He said: Although I am afraid of the new coronavirus, I am now more worried about losing my job, salary and benefits.
Labor rights leaders worry that the resumption of work will lead to a surge in cases, which may be worse than the 2013 garment factory building collapse that killed 1,130 people.
Bangladesh has a population of 168 million. Officials have reported about 5,500 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 145 deaths.
However, experts believe that the actual number of cases may be much higher due to insufficient number of tests conducted by the authorities.
