Authorities on Monday were forced to suspend productions at around 150 readymade garment factories in several industrial areas including Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj due to labour unrest initially instigated by outsiders.聽
Factory owners said that in most cases outsiders had gathered in front of the factories demanding jobs and they were instigating factory workers to leave work and join with them.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Khandoker Rafiqul Islam held a meeting with the home affairs adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury in this regard.
In response, the government has decided to initiate a joint operation, involving both armed forces and police personnel, in the industrial areas from Monday night to arrest the troublemakers.
BGMEA vice-president Abdullah Hil Rakib said that nearly 150 factories had been forced to shut their operations including 50 in Ashulia, 45-50 units in Gazipur on Monday.
He claimed that the unrest was politically motivated and externally orchestrated.
In many instances, outsiders gathered in front of factories demanding the recruitment of more male workers than female workers, Rakib said.
Factory owners said that in the Ashulia area, the unrest began at a Nasa Group factory and then spread in the area, causing workers from other factories to leave their work and take to the streets.
According to BGMEA sources, protesters vandalised at least five factories in Gazipur, while the authorities of 45 to 50 factories were forced to shut down their operations.
Workers in Gazipur took to the streets, blocking major highways demanding job regularisation, payment of arrears, and the recruitment of male workers, 抖阴精品 correspondent at Gazipur reported.
They staged demo in the Bhogra, Naozor, Salna, Konabari, and Jiranibazar areas of the city until noon on Monday.
Meanwhile, they blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Bhogra, Jiranibazar, and Salna areas.
Authorities have closed at least fifty factories due to concerns that the situation might worsen.
The workers presented an eight-point demand list, which includes job stabilisation, wage increases, and family medical benefits.
Protesters claimed that many garment factories in Gazipur were only hiring women, leaving male workers unemployed.
Hundreds of local youths joined the protests demanding the recruitment of a higher number of male workers.
Meanwhile, the country鈥檚 apparel and textile sector businesses on Monday demanded security for their factories, saying that many units had been forced to shut down due to unrest instigated by outsiders.
They warned that if the situation persisted, global buyers might relocate their business from Bangladesh.
During a discussion on the ongoing crisis in the readymade garment sector and way forward, held at the Sonargaon Hotel in the city, businesses said that many global buyers were avoiding travel to Bangladesh due to security reasons and if the situation did not improve, export orders might be shifted elsewhere.
BGMEA director Shovon Islam said that good number of factories had been forced to shut down its operation on Monday across the country as outsiders were creating unrest demanding jobs.
He urged the government to take strict action against trouble makers in the industry for protecting the interest of economy.
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association president Showkat Aziz Russell said that ensuring security of industries should be the first priority.
He also urged the government to improve banking facility and to ensure gas and electricity for the survival of apparel and textile industry.
A former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Abdul Awal Mintoo, said that resolving the ongoing crisis in the industry required identifying the root causes of the problems.
If the political issues are not addressed, the economy will not perform well, he mentioned.
Mintoo recommended that the business community must unite to protect their own interests.聽聽
Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association president Md Mofazzal Hossain Pavel said that buyer was not sending their teams due to security concerns.
If the situation did not improve, work orders might be shifted to other countries, he said.
Export Promotion Bureau vice-chairman Anwar Hossain, Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association president Kabir Ahmed, and Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mohammad Shahriar, among others, also spoke at the event.