Bangladesh reopens 600 apparel factories despite virus risk

Collected
Nearly per month after Bangladesh ordered garment factories shuttered to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, the industry is reopening hundreds of them despite risks the condition might spread.

Rubana Huq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BGMEA, said she was under great pressure to reopen factories after the pandemic cost the industry more than $3 billion in orders that were cancelled or suspended.

Huq said Tuesday that about 600 factories had reopened in this week, sticking with health protocols. Workers living close to the factories will be the first to come back to the production lines, she said.

At least 856 factories will be reopened soon, Huq said.

Bangladesh gets the world's second greatest garment industry after China. It normally earns $35 billion annually from exports mainly to the United States and Europe and employs about 4 million workers, mostly women from rural areas.

Bangladesh commenced its coronavirus lockdown in late March, when factory owners stopped production apart from some sewing of personal protection equipment. Workers left the capital, Dhaka, and the nearby Narayanganj and Gazipur areas in waves, heading back again to their village homes.

At a gathering Saturday, Salman F. Rahman, an influential adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the federal government was keen to see garment makers slowly reopen their factories in phases.

"We have to open the factories, but we should ensure the workers' safety to achieve that," Rahman told the meeting attended by textile and garment industry leaders.

On Tuesday, the International Labor Organization urged the federal government to avoid and control the spread of the coronavirus in workplaces, with help and input from personnel and workers' groups.

"The first step may be the adoption of several safety and health measures at the job based on dialogue between employers and workers, and a shared knowledge of coronavirus risks," said the Bangladesh country director for the ILO, Tuomo Poutiainen.

The reopening of the garments industry is apparently coming prior to the country has fully controlled its coronavirus outbreak.

Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million people, confirmed 549 cases of new infections on Tuesday, raising the total number of instances to 6,462. That was the highest number of new cases in a 24-hour period because the country's first case was confirmed on March 8, said senior Health Directorate official Nasima Sultana.

She said at least 155 people have died and only 139 people are recognized to have recovered.
Source: https://abcstlouis.com

Tags :

Share this news on:

Previous Story

Trending Topics

Archive