Refayet Ullah Mirdha

Bangladesh’s textile and garment factories have significantly cut water and energy consumption by adopting low-cost and cleaner production processes and installing new technologies under a programme initiated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The country’s garment sector has been going through massive reforms to become more sustainable and safer for workers since the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that claimed at least 1,138 lives.

Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of Bangladesh’s deadliest industrial disaster, the Rana Plaza building collapse. Many changes have taken place in the garment sector after the disaster that killed 1,138 workers and left more than 2,500 injured. Tuomo Poutiainen shed light on various aspects of the tragedy.

Garment factories operated in full swing on the second day of the lockdown yesterday although many workers found it difficult to reach their workplaces because of the non-availability of public transport.

The government, trade bodies and garment union leaders strongly advised factory owners to strictly follow health safety rules in operations of production units so that workers are not infected with Covid-19 during lockdowns.

Chattogram-based Denim Expert’s managing director, Mostafiz Uddin, has been sending an open letter to some leaders in Europe, the UK and the US since February 26 urging reopening clothing stores to ensure sustainable supply chains in garment business.

Garment factory owners and union leaders are at loggerheads over the imminent tough lockdown the government is set to impose across the country to curb the rising cases of coronavirus infections.

An acute gas crisis has continued to severely impact production in textile and garment factories not only in Narayanganj and Narsingdi but also in the country’s largest industrial belt of Gazipur and Maona.

Earnings from merchandise exports rebounded in March rising 12.59 per cent year-on-year to $3.07 billion mainly due to a slow recovery in garment shipments over the last few months on the back of relaxed lockdowns in the West.

More than 300 factories, especially textile, spinning and garment industries in Kanchpur, Narayanganj and Narsingdi have been facing a massive production loss every day because of a disruption in gas supply since March 13.

Faruque Hassan, the president-elect of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has vowed to beef up international marketing to recover the apparel export losses that stemmed from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Industrialists have found it difficult to instantly implement emergency measures for the smooth continuation of manufacturing operations after the government suddenly announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Bangladesh has come second on a list comparing ethical auditing practices of major countries undergoing industrialisation, that too during the 2020 pandemic period, according to a first quarter report by supply chain compliance solutions provider QIMA released last week.

More than 2,300 garment business entrepreneurs in Bangladesh will choose their leaders for the next two years today with an expectation that they will pull the pandemic-hit industry out of the coronavirus-induced crisis and secure higher prices from international buyers.

The lower price of apparel items shipped from Bangladesh and the lower volume of orders due to the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic are two major challenges for the garment industry, said ABM Shamsuddin, the panel leader of the Forum.

Securing liquidity support from the banking system is important for the survival of the garment industry as exporters have been facing a cash crunch for more than a year after Covid-19 caused shipments to crash, said Faruque Hassan, the panel leader of Sammilita Parishad.

Nine major apparel manufacturing countries, including Bangladesh, have joined hands to improve prices paid by international retailers and brands, prompted into action by bad experiences since the pandemic’s emergence.

International buyers are following a ‘go-slow’ policy in placing orders with apparel suppliers in Bangladesh because of fresh lockdowns and stricter restrictions in key markets amid a rise in coronavirus infections and piling up of unsold goods amid depressed sales.

Bangladesh’s attractiveness as an apparel-sourcing destination has remained potent despite increased competition in recent years, according to a new survey of management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

International retailers and brands are again demanding unusual deferral payment from local apparel suppliers, the second time in a year, saying sales have dropped after Western nations reimposed lockdowns and tougher restrictions because of a surge in coronavirus infections.