The government urged the businesses to implement the government’s instruction to go for zone-wise weekly shut down of apparel and other export-oriented industries to save electricity.
The decision came after a meeting between business leaders and the Power, Energy and Mineral resources Ministry on Sunday.
The leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) have agreed to keep industrial units shut once a week, said Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy, and mineral resources, to the media.
The decision will be implemented from the next week.
According to the BGMEA, they have have five apparel zones- Narayanganj, Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur and Mymensingh In Dhaka region along with two EPZs and a number of BSCIC industrial estates.
Sector insiders told media that most of the factories of the Dhaka region as well as Chattogram offer weekly day off on Friday where the rest of the days continue operation at least 10 hours in a day.
Chattogram has also an apparel zone along with EPZ and BSCIC industrial estate.
Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the BGMEA told the media that they welcome the decision considering the ongoing situation.
He said that the ministry asked them to implement weekly day off in phases in the garment factories and said it may develop the load shedding situation.
He also said the government is likely to increase zone number as the government priority.
Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, vice president of the BKMEA told the media that though the government proposed to execute weekly holiday in phases they could not ensure that the load-shedding crisis would go.
Comment here