Bangladesh’s vital garment industry has lost $400 million due to unrest following a student-led revolution that ousted Bangladesh’s autocratic prime minister, industry officials said on Sunday. The South Asian country’s 3,500 garment factories account for about 85 percent of the country’s $55 billion annual exports, but the unrest has disrupted the industry, which contributes significantly to Bangladesh’s economy.
After months of protests, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina fled by helicopter to the neighboring country of India on August 5, and the army chief announced his resignation from the post of Prime Minister. After the resignation of Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wazed, who fled to India due to the protests in Bangladesh, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus, but workers in garment factories continued to protest demanding jobs and better wages.
Such demonstrations sometimes turned violent. On September 30, a garment worker was killed and 20 others were injured in a clash between protesters and the police. President of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation Kalpana Akhtar said on Sunday that there should be a radical change in the attitude of the factory owners and the government. Akhtar told AFP, “Discussions about wage hikes will only happen when workers take to the streets.”
He said that change is necessary to ensure stability in this sector and warned that otherwise the workers will not remain silent. Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of clothing after China and supplies many of the world’s top brands including Levi’s, Zara and H&M. Khandekar Rafiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that the industry is now stable after going through challenging times.
Islam, speaking to reporters on Saturday, estimated the damage to be around 400 million US dollars since August, saying, “The army has formed a task force to protect the factories, and they are regularly patrolling the garment areas to ensure security.” “Buyers have regained their confidence in Bangladeshi clothing, but uninterrupted law and order is needed to maintain stability,” he said.