Labour unrest has disrupted operations at 529 garment factories across Bangladesh’s major industrial zones, with nearly 987,000 workers absent from work, according to data available from different mass media sources.
BGMEA said the figures cover 2,134 factories across five industrial zones. Of these, 529 were affected by the unrest, while 1,816 remained operational.
The Gazipur-Mymensingh industrial belt was the worst affected, with 276 of its 836 factories reporting disruption and 645,360 workers absent. In Savar-Ashulia and Jirani, 185 of 441 factories were affected, leaving 290,205 workers absent. Meanwhile, 68 of the 320 factories under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police jurisdiction, all located in Mirpur, were affected, with 51,625 workers failing to report for duty.
No worker walkouts or absenteeism were reported in Narayanganj or Chattogram.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) confirmed on Sunday that 529 factories had declared holidays amid the unrest. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan warned that factory owners might be compelled to shut all factories if the situation did not improve quickly.
Workers have been staging protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, an end to blacklisting, and the reinstatement of dismissed workers.
The widespread disruption has raised concerns over production and shipment schedules in Bangladesh’s export-oriented apparel industry.
