Garment factories in Bangladesh defy coronavirus lockdown to resume work

Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh on Sunday defied a nationwide coronavirus lockdown to resume their work as the crippling industry sought to cover losses, endangering the drive to curb the spread of deadly virus.

A segment of garment factories affiliated with Readymade Garment Industry (RMG) entrepreneurs' lobbies resumed operations on a limited scale, bdnews reported.

The Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BGMEA) has set a 30 per cent attendance target for the factories opening on Sunday while the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) asked its members to open knitting, dyeing and sample sections, which will also require at least 30 per cent attendance.

The mills were closed on March 26.

The factories are calling back workers living close to the units.

Asked about the number of factories that reopened on Sunday, BGMEA Vice President Faisal Samad told bdnews24.com: "We are not doing anything in a hurry; everything is being done slowly. On the first day, about two hundred factories in and around Dhaka have made preparations to restart work with a small number of workers.

The factories will fully reopen from May 2," said BKMEA Vice President Mohammad Hatem, adding: "Workers who are living far away have been barred from attending work at the moment."