BANGLADESH Dhaka, textile crisis: strikes and factories closed

The situation has been triggered by the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Workers are protesting over wage arrears and accuse factory owners, many of whom are linked to the previous government, of fuelling the unrest for political reasons. sources confirm that young people who lost their jobs have returned to their home villages. The renewal of contracts for the coming seasons is in jeopardy.

Dhaka () – Over the past two weeks, the discontent of Bangladeshi garment factory workers has erupted into increasingly intense protests, culminating on 11 September with the setting fire to a chemical warehouse at the Big-Boss factory of the Beximco group in Kashimpur, in the Gazipur district. The workers, protesting over unpaid wages, blocked firefighters who had arrived to put out the fire, and looted the factory’s property.

Salman F. Rahman, the owner of the Beximco group and a former MP in Sheikh Hasina’s government (who fled on August 5 following student protests demanding his resignation), is currently in custody. Meanwhile, the unrest has led to the closure of 183 factories, 54 of them in the Savar-Ashulia-Jirani area and 12 in Gazipur. Many workers have been laid off. The textile sector, a mainstay of Bangladeshi exports, is likely to suffer considerable losses due to these unrest, also jeopardizing international orders. Many fear that contracts with foreign buyers will not be renewed for the coming season.

Sister Rose, a Missionary of the Immaculate Conception who works with the PIME Fathers in Bangladesh at a workers’ centre in Zirani, on the outskirts of Dhaka, told that “the boys and girls in our centre, who are mostly from rural and tribal areas of Bangladesh, are returning to their home villages. More and more of them are asking the PIME Fathers for help because of economic pressure. Those who are not working are becoming depressed.”

The crisis was triggered by the change of government following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opening the door to workers’ demands for attendance bonuses, food allowances, increases for night shifts and better conditions for pregnant workers. Unions and the government are trying to find solutions to stabilise the sector, but political tensions are complicating the situation.

Some accuse factory owners, many of them linked to the previous government, of fuelling unrest for political reasons. Trade union leaders blame factory owners for the closures, saying that despite agreements between management and workers, little concrete action has been taken. This view was echoed by Manjur Moin, general secretary of the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre, who said factories were closed for no reason when workers returned after anti-government protests.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, youth labour, employment and sports adviser to the interim technical government headed by Muhammad Yunus, expressed hope that the labour unrest would be brought under control soon: “No worker would attack his own factory because when it closes, it is the workers who suffer the most.” However, he warned that the government will take action against third-party elements who incite workers to create unrest.

Bhuiyan also pointed out the seasonal nature of the garment industry, where products have to be ready for the market three months in advance. In many cases, orders are cancelled, with an estimated loss of 15-20%.

A factory owner, who preferred to remain anonymous, also commented that “the government must act responsibly and understand the mentality of the workers,” and called, like many others, for the activation of the Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Plants to solve the crisis.

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest garment manufacturer after China. More than four million people, mostly women, are estimated to be employed in the garment sector. In addition, more than two million people are employed in transport related to the sector.