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Labour adviser M Sakhawat Hussain on Thursday said that the reopening of the closed factories of Beximco Group is no longer possible, as the factories have a massive default loans.

Speaking at a press briefing held by the ‘Advisory Council Committee on Reviewing the Labour and Business Situation of Industrial Enterprises in Beximco Industrial Park,’ at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, he shed light on the financial liabilities of the group, the plight of workers, and the government’s position on the matter.

Sakhawat Hussain said that of the 32 factories within Beximco Industrial Park, 16 no longer exist, yet loans amounting to Tk 12,000 crore were taken out against these now-defunct units.

‘Beximco›s total bank loan is currently over Tk 40,000 crore, including Tk 29,925 crore taking by 32 factories located in Beximco Industrial Park. Out of this, Beximco owes Tk 23,285.42 crore to Janata Bank alone,’ he said.

Addressing the workers’ demands to reopen the factories, Sakhawat explained that the management of 12 factories had laid off workers because they could no longer afford to pay their salaries.

He clarified that the layoffs were not a government decision and reiterated, ‘If these factories were operational, the government could have also earned revenue.’

The labour adviser mentioned that the government has covered Beximco’s workers’ salaries for three months since September 2024 to December 2024 and said that Beximco’s liabilities will be reviewed on January 28.

‘The government is always vigilant about ensuring that workers receive their rightful dues,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the laid-off workers and employees of Beximco’s textile and garment units at a press conference in the Capital Market Journalists› Forum in Dhaka urged the government to reopen the factories and reinstate their jobs.

Md Abdul Kaium, head of personnel administration at Beximco garment division said, ‘The owners of the group are eager to resume operations of the 16 textile and garment factories.’

The workers urged the government to help open letters of credit so that the mills can bring in raw materials, keep the factories running, and pay off their bank loans.

Workers at Beximco Industrial Park have been staging protests demanding salaries and allowances left unpaid since the fall of the Awami League government, causing unrest in the area. To address the problem, an advisory committee was formed to review the labour and business situation.

The committee has held five meetings so far. In the first meeting on November 28 last year, it was decided to pay three months of overdue salaries through bank loans.

The government has paid Tk 163.43 crore as the workers’ salaries till December. Plans are now in place to pay January’s salaries as per the committee’s decision.

To manage the crisis, Tk 50 crore in interest-free loans has been provided by the finance department, along with Tk 10 crore from the government’s central fund.

Workers of Beximco Industrial Park gathered on January 21 at the Sreepur Mayanagar ground in Gazipur to demand the withdrawal of layoffs and the reopening of factories.

They announced a shutdown programme, including blocking the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, if their demands were not met by 3:00pm on January 22.

However, the adviser criticised their actions, stating, ‘They resorted to arson, which is unacceptable. All those involved will face consequences.’

He also hinted that someone might be inciting the workers, saying, ‘If someone is behind this, it will be revealed soon.’