529 garment factories halt production amid labour unrest

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Production was suspended at around 529 garment factories in Savar, Gazipur and Mirpur on Sunday as workers left their workplaces amid protests demanding higher wages.

According to data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), 276 factories in Gazipur and Mymensingh, 68 in Mirpur and 185 in the Savar-Ashulia-Zirani areas could not operate after workers walked out.

BGMEA held a meeting with representatives of its member factories on Sunday afternoon. More than 250 people attended, representing up to 700 factories, including former presidents and other industry leaders.

Speaking to The Financial Express after the meeting, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said factory owners were concerned about production losses and uncertainty over daily operations.

He said around 529 factories across major industrial areas, including Mirpur, Ashulia, Gazipur and Savar, had been unable to operate, as approximately 980,000 workers left their workplaces without working.

Khan said manufacturers could not keep opening factories in the morning only to suspend operations an hour later because of unrest. He stressed that the immediate priority was to stop violence and restore normal conditions, urging workers and labour leaders to act responsibly.

He warned that if unrest continued on Monday, factory owners might suspend operations under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act as they struggled to maintain normal production.

The possibility of factory closures was discussed at the meeting, with members seeking clear guidance from BGMEA on whether they should keep their units open on Monday.

Khan said the association would make a decision on closures on Monday, adding that factory owners did not want to shut down their units.

He also urged the government, particularly the Home Ministry, to take legal action against anyone taking the law into their own hands, regardless of whether they were workers or factory owners.

The BGMEA president further proposed that the newly formed Wage Board issue a joint public statement assuring workers and employers that it would work in the interests of employees, the garment industry and the national economy.