Local ready-made garment (RMG) industry is facing major challenges due to the recent internal instability, conflicts in global geopolitics, fuel price hike in and cotton price fluctuation in the international market.
Many garment factories in Gazipur industrial area have already been closed, turning many workers to jobless. Laid-off workers are facing difficulties to maintain their families. Even, some are getting involved in crime. As a result, incidents of theft and robbery are increasing in Gazipur.
Factory workers say that their factories are facing closure due to various reasons including lack of work orders, lack of money, banking complications and worker dissatisfaction.
Moreover, workers of closed factories are frequently blocking highways to press home their demands and their agitation is also causing suffering to the commuters.
Retrenched workers also say that they are not even getting their outstanding salaries properly.
While the female workers of the closed factories have found jobs in some other factories, the male workers are in trouble. Most factories are not hiring male workers.
Police sources said cases related to theft, robbery and snatching have increased in Gazipur. There is information that some unemployed workers are involved in these crimes.
Meanwhile, at least 51 factories have been closed in Gazipur in the last five months following July-August changeover. In addition, seven more factories will be closed by next May.
Among the closed factories are 16 in Beximco Industrial Park in the city's Sarabo area, TMS Apparels in Tungi's Sataish area, Niagara Textile and Mahmud Jeans in Chandra area.
More than half a million workers have been in trouble due to the closure of these factories. They are living in inhuman conditions after losing their jobs.
Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent of Police AKM Zahirul Islam said, "From September last to January this year, a total of 51 factories have declared closed in the district. Of these, 10 factories have faced temporary closure. They may open at any time."
He also said that many unemployed workers are often taking to the Dhaka-Tangail, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Chandra-Nabinagar highways and demanding the reopening of factories and arrears of wages.
Gazipur Industrial Police said that the total number of registered factories in the district, including small and large, is 2,176. Of these, 1,154 are ready-made garment factories.
Since November last year, 35 ready-made garment factories have not been able to pay their workers, which is 2 per cent of the total factories.
In addition, 45 per cent of factories have not paid salaries since December. Currently, there is worker dissatisfaction in 5 per cent of factories in Gazipur. There are complications regarding increments in 9 per cent of factories.
Meanwhile, seven factories of the Keya Group have been closed since May last year due to market instability, bank account discrepancies, insufficiency of raw materials and inadequacy of factory production activities.
In this regard, Sabina Yasmin, manager of the human resources department of Keya Group, said, "We closed a total of seven factories- five from May 1 and two from May 20. All dues of the workers will be paid according to the Labour Law."
Garment worker Suman used to work at a factory in the Nawjor area of Gazipur. He lost his job for trivial reasons. He already visited various factories for a job but could not manage it. He has been unemployed for two months and living an inhumane life with his wife and children in a rented house in Gazipur.
Shahina Begum, who worked at the Mim Design factory in Gazipur's South Bhogra Basan Road area for about 15 years, said her factory has been closed for two months due to lack of work orders. The authorities are not saying anything about when the factory will reopen. Even they are not paying their arrear salaries.
Md. Ashrafuzzaman, Organizing Secretary of the Central Committee of the National Garments Workers' Alliance Bangladesh, said, factories are closing one after another. The number of unemployed workers is also increasing. However, the reason for the closure of factories cannot be blamed on the labor movement. Workers are being made unemployed due to the actions of the owners.
