Staff Reporter:

Country’s apparel export orders are now being shifted to different other countries including neighboring India due to recent political instability, fall of AL government and labour unrest that causes concern to the business community.

Experts are terming the situation as a greater crisis for the country’s largest export sector.

Syed Mohammad Jakir Hossain, Director of ‘No Exit’ and also a middleman said, “About 90 percent of the orders given by a buyer have been shifted to India due to failure of shipment in time. If the situation remains unchanged, there is no hope to return the buyers shortly. In this circumstance, we are facing uncertainty over our future trade.”

He further said, “Many of my orders have already been placed to India due to shipment and delivery related issues. If we are able to improve the situation, the buyers then may come back. Otherwise, it will not possible to continue our business.”

Currently, unrest prevails at most of the garments rich areas including Ashulia, Savar and Gazipur. Labour unrest has now become a regular phenomenon in those areas. Even, the labourers were found to getting engaged in clashes with army personnel.

Terming the situation as a great shock for the garment sector, Rubana Haque, former President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said, “Though, the government claims that the situation is getting normalcy gradually, it is not clear so far. We have noticed that, many factories had been remained shut for 12 to 15 days partially and completely that hampers production drastically.” “Those factories incurred irreplaceable losses. In this situation, many orders have gone to other places including Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and even Myanmar. We are apprehending that, about 25 to 30 percent of orders are likely to move away by next December,” she added.

Many reasons behind the unrest of Bangladesh apparel sector are now coming to forwards. Of them, dispute over Jhut (garments’ waste or rags) business, problems over ownership, dues of salaries, nuisance and interference of outsiders and demands of garments workers are significant.

Rubana Haque also said, “The government should probe into the reasons behind the unrest. If the main reasons behind the instability are found, giving necessary treatments is possible. Without diagnosing the diseases, giving treatment is not possible on behalf of any doctor. So, the government should do it immediately.”

Mohammad Shahzahan, leader of a workers’ association told The Daily Sky that, “There are many problems. The factory owners, who had a good relation with the immediate fall government, are facing highly problems as they did not fulfill any requirement of the workers previous times. Now, the workers get down in the field to press home their demands taking the advantage of coming new government on power. There are over 30 points of demand including reinstatement of workers’ jobs and payment of dues.

Marium Akhtar, General Secretary of Bangladesh National Labour Federation said, “There might have an influence of outsiders. New people want to grab the position of previous businessmen. Besides, there is invisible international pressure for shifting our business to other countries.”

Abdullahil Rakib, Acting President of BGMEA told The Daily Sky that, “Law enforcers tried to do their best. They on the directive of interim government have been played vital role in this context to bring the situation under control. We are expecting to come the situation normalize shortly.”

Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan told the media, “The government has started its work complying with the demands of labourers. The initiative to implement 18 points of demand has already taken up. The government is taking steps to pay loan as per necessity to those, who face problem to pay wages to the labourers due to fund crisis. We want to solve the problems through high consultancy. We are also working over garments waste (Jhut) business with the aim to find out the way how to control it centrally. We are trying to address all the matters sincerely.”

Economists seem, country will incur huge losses, if the situation is not resolved as early as soon. The impact of instability in the apparel sector will be lingered, if government fails to resolve it right now.

Dr Golam Moazzem, Research Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said, “It is urgent to resolve the problem by improving the relation between owners and workers. If foreign countries move away from us, our businesses will face hardship in future. Therefore, Bangladesh will deprive of foreign revenue earning.”

“Bangladesh ranks second in the world for the export of ready-made garments (RMG). There is no alternative to maintain this position and work towards a permanent solution to labour grievances and take measures to normalize the situation quickly for the sake of growth and development,” he added.