Once again, BGMEA and RMG factory owners have come under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. In the midst of a sweeping coronavirus pandemic infecting hundreds across the country, production at some readymade garment (RMG) factories in Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram have resumed without maintaining health guidelines and social distancing violating the government order of a countrywide lockdown to contain the deadly Covid-19.
Thousands of workers were seen on roads on Monday morning who were going to join their respective work places. To them fear of job is more then the fear of corona pandemic. We fail to understand why BGMEA and RMG factory owners have been behaving in such an impatient and reckless manner during the time of a national health crisis? Many ask couldn't BGMEA wait till the end of the lockdown on April 5? Many ask the question whether BGMEA and BKMEA can unilaterally decide to re-open their factories when the government lockdown is in force ?
Firstly, many of the owners tried to reopen their factories earlier this month by violating lockdown rules issued on March 26. Secondly, once again they have acted irresponsibly by allowing thousands of workers to commute in crowds triggering community and workplace transmissions. And thirdly, the factory owners have miserably failed to draw lesson from their blunder by prematurely opening their factories earlier this month. The indecision and lack of assertive leadership by BGMEA created chaos and caused sufferings to thousands of RMG workers exposing them to corona risk. The PM herself expressed her annoyance over RMG sector's irresponsible decision.
The reckless decision had been a major cause for inter-district spreading of the virus within the greater Dhaka division. Free movement of workers, living nearby the Gazipur-Ashulia-Savar industrial belt has wreaked havoc on the health of the local populace. Currently 45 districts have come under lockdown with many of the districts housing thousands of RMG workers, and this dire scenario could have been prevented had the factory owners paid heed to the government instructions throughout late March and April.
Even more ominously, it is all happening while the numbers of coronavirus infected cases across the country have shot up with an alarming speed reaching nearly 6, 000.
While responding to the preventive and precautionary methods to combat coronavirus, a number of BGMEA, BKMEA high-ups have reportedly said that they will ensure social distancing among workers. Also the workers will have to wear facemasks. However, several media reports quoting Industrial Police sources reveal that the preventive measures are not being carried out in factories.
We would like to focus upon a few key points on the topic of reopening of RMG factories in the midst of higher number of infected cases in Bangladesh. First, maintaining social distance inside any garment factory, irrespective of its size and workforce, is not possible due to the nature of manufacturing operations and lack of space. Second, most factories are equipped with few toilets to address the sanitation and hygiene issues of workers - a key factor for community transmission. And most importantly, our apparel factories were not built upon the guidelines of pandemic prevention.
No matter what degree of preventive measures are adopted, it will never be enough and effective to counter spreading of a contagious virus. Moreover, the closely located factories in a row or an industrial zone can spread the virus like wildfire. The irresponsible decision of BGMEA to open factories early this month led to influx of thousands of workers to Dhaka amidst lockdown posing risk of spreading coronavirus. Since then the community transmission of the virus started - the price Dhaka and its adjoining RMG zones are paying.
From an operational perspective, garment manufacturing units cannot function in limited scale. Either, a factory will be entirely operable or non - operable at all. The factory itself is so closely integrated that every section is dependent on the other for producing the final output. On that note - the factory owners who have been voicing that those who are living nearby can come and work is completely irrational and baseless. Moreover, many factory owners have said that the workers who are living afar will not have to come and will receive their payment via electronic or mobile transfer. Such types of hollow and unreliable promises do not merit any value.
We clearly understand the economic drawback of a prolonged lockdown. That said - the RMG sector is not the only financial sector of this country. Far more millions are serving in the country's agriculture sector. The point here, the global health disaster is a not a separate disaster for the Bangladesh RMG sector.
Ranging from ship building to ship breaking, transport to tourism, poultry farms to dairy farms, small and medium enterprises, construction, hotels and restaurants - all have been badly hit and incurring unbearable losses. And all these sectors collectively contribute to the country's economy. For instance, the country's inflow of remittance has come down to an all time low and many millions of families of our workers abroad are suffering. However, these innocent helpless countrymen have not taken to the streets.
Most significantly, it is not that the government hasn't done anything at all to cope with the health crisis leading to a financial crisis. In fact, the first government package in the long list of financial packages had commenced with a separate Tk 5, 000 crore stimulus package by the Prime Minister to clear all payment and wages for RMG workers. The factory owners obtained the low interest loan for clearing payment and dues to workers. Why are we coming across news reports of labour unrest and demand for clearing pending wages and salaries in different factories? According to Industrial Police sources workers of about 400 factories are yet to get their arrear salary. Is it not the responsibility of BGMEA leadership to ensure its members to clear the salary of workers?
From a profit, loss and operational perspective, though it is correct that work orders worth over a few billion US dollars has been cancelled, but it apparently seems that the 35 billion dollar RMG sector has come to an unprecedented crisis. The Bangladesh Bank has already extended the timeframe of deferred payment facility for RMG producers, so why the rush to reopen factories by putting the lives of thousands of workers at grave risk?
We do not believe that our factory owners pass their days from hand to mouth with their earned profits, and we will not believe that they consume all monthly earnings for the sake of keeping factories operational.
It is only the last few days of March and most of April, during which time the lockdown has come into effect and the factory owners' pestering has by now reached its peak. Getting back into production is fine, but we can't help asking, producing for whom and how would you ship the goods when majority of our buyers in Europe and America are all under strict lockdown?
To make it clearer, the RMG sector is linked with many other supporting sectors in Bangladesh. The sector's peripheries of backward and forward linkages have widened extensively and if our factory owners compel the government to resume operations in the midst of a fast spreading pandemic - all stakeholders of the sector must be held accountable for spreading the deadly virus.
To finish with, in business every year cannot be a bonanza year. There will be times when business ethics, moral responsibilities towards workers and social responsibilities will be tested. There will be national emergency or crisis where the business community will have to come forward and stand beside the people and country. There will be even times when a greater cause will supersede the lust for regular profiteering.
The RMG business community here has evidently begun to play a dangerous game with public health and well being - similar to playing with fire. However, once they lose control of the fire it will burn many.
Will BGMEA and BKMEA leadership take the responsibility of any future health crisis.
Half a century of Indo-Bangla ties moving forward
Two crisis time budgets under Bangabandhu and his daughter Sheikh Hasina 
Are they above the law?