Bangladesh Extends Curfew, Shuts Down RMG and Textile Mills Amid Unrest
By 2024-08-05 11:11:07
Amid unrest, Bangladesh extends the curfew and closes the RMG and textile mills.
Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) factories and textile mills will remain closed as the government has extended the curfew indefinitely and announced a three-day general holiday starting Monday due to the deteriorating law and order situation, according to sector leaders.
Production in most RMG factories in Narayanganj and a few units in Gazipur was already suspended on Sunday amid ongoing unrest. The government extended the curfew starting from 6:00 PM on Sunday and declared a three-day public holiday beginning Monday. This decision came after clashes in 14 districts resulted in at least 42 fatalities involving protesters, law enforcement, and ruling party-backed groups.
Abdullah Hil Rakib, Vice-President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that factories would comply with the government’s announcement of general holidays. “However, we will seek a meeting with the government to request permission to operate the units during the curfew and holidays,” he added.
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Secretary General Zakir Hossain conveyed in a text message that all BTMA member mills would remain closed during the three-day holiday from August 5-7 due to the deteriorated law and order situation. Decisions on reopening the mills will depend on the overall situation and further government declarations.
Factory owners in Narayanganj reported that workers began production on Sunday morning but were later incited by outsiders to leave. Consequently, workers from Eurotex Knitwear Limited and IFS Texwear Pvt Limited exited their workplaces and took to the streets. This led to protests in several factories in Narayanganj BSCIC and Fatullah, prompting other factory owners to declare a holiday to protect their establishments, said Fazle Shamim Ehsan, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
In Gazipur, production in some factories ceased after 3:00 PM as workers left their jobs, according to Abdullah Hil Rakib. Additionally, an official from the BTMA reported that the Outpace Spinning mill in Gazipur was set on fire by outsiders on Sunday afternoon.
