Production capacity in Bangladesh's garment sector has declined by 25 to 30 per cent due to severe energy shortages and disruptions in the supply of gas and electricity, raising concerns over order cancellations by international buyers.
Against this backdrop, the opposition has submitted a notice in Parliament seeking a general discussion on the crisis and measures to keep factories operational and protect the national economy.
Pabna-1 MP Mohammad Najibur Rahman submitted the notice to the Parliament Secretariat on Monday during the fourth session of the 13th Parliament.
The notice described the readymade garment (RMG) sector as a key pillar of Bangladesh's economy, contributing more than 80 per cent of the country's total export earnings.
Around 4 million workers are employed in the sector, while millions more depend on it directly or indirectly for their livelihoods.
It said inadequate supplies of uninterrupted gas and electricity, low gas pressure, global disruptions linked to the Middle East and limitations in diesel supplies had significantly reduced factory productivity and production capacity.
According to information cited in the notice, the decline has forced foreign buyers to cancel international purchase orders, causing financial losses for factory owners and raising concerns about Bangladesh's reputation and reliability in the global market.
The notice also highlighted labour unrest as an additional challenge for the industry.
Workers have been staging protests over demands for fair wages, rising living costs and workplace inequalities. In some cases, failures in negotiations have forced factory owners to suspend operations.
It warned that such unrest could create negative perceptions of Bangladesh internationally.
The notice further cautioned that vested-interest groups could exploit workers' grievances to destabilise the industrial sector and damage the national economy. It called on the government, factory owners and workers to work together to protect labour rights and prevent provocations.
It also stressed the need to make effective use of the three-year timeframe and opportunity available to Bangladesh for its graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
The notice called for a sustainable national action plan for the next three years, focusing on strengthening garment production capacity, diversifying products, exploring new markets, upgrading technology and attracting international investment.
It urged Parliament to hold a detailed discussion on the crisis, setting specific targets to ensure workers' employment and security, establish reliable energy supplies and prepare the economy for challenges following LDC graduation.