Export-oriented factories reopen from August 1

The government have decided to reopen all export-oriented factories, including the readymade garment sector, from August 1 amid the ongoing strict lockdown following repeated pressure to reopen the factories from the business leaders.

The cabinet division issued a notification in this connection on Friday.

All export-oriented industries and factories, including the readymade garment sector, will be out of the restrictions from August 1, read that notification.

However, the notification has no directive on how workers staying in villages to celebrate Eid will return to work with the restrictions on public transport movement remain in effect.

Such a move by the government came hours after the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recommended to extend the ongoing nationwide strict lockdown as the coronavirus situation across the country worsening gradually.

In response to the permission, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) leaders thanked the Prime Minister and all concerned while the health experts fear the move will increase new cases of coronavirus.

The BGMEA President Faruque Hassan expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and said, “We are very thankful to the government for taking such a decision, which is very important for the country’s economy.”

He urged all factories to take proper measures to maintain health safety guidelines to curb the spread of coronavirus infections.

Professor ABM Khurshid Alam, Director General of the DGHS, said, “We asked the government to extend the ongoing strict lockdown. But the government allowed the factories to reopen amid the deteriorating coronavirus situation. Infections will definitely rise as a large number of workers return to their respective factories immediately.”

We will not be able to accommodate new patients at the hospitals if the infections increase, he added.

Meanwhile, the new cases of coronavirus increased in the last week in Dhaka and its adjacent districts, including Gazipur, Manikganj, Narayanganj and Munshiganj.

In such a situation, this decision to reopen garments factories will deteriorate the situation, as per the health experts.

However, several officials notified reporters that the government rejected the plea from business leaders to resume the activities of factories after an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal three days ago.

But the leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) met Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at the Secretariat on July 29.

Following their request at that meeting, the government allowed them to reopen all export-oriented factories considering the country’s economy.

Notably, the government enforced a 14 days strict lockdown from July 1 which was eased for eight days ahead of Eid. The strict lockdown, however, imposed again on July 23 for two weeks.