Badrul Ahsan :
Productions in factories across the country almost halved due to the sweltering heat wave now sweeping across the country, industry insiders said.
High density of workers coupled with lack of ventilation worsened the situation comparing to other sectors and causing many of the workers to become sick.
Workers and insiders said most of the industries, including ready-made garment, footwear, tanneries and bidi factories, largely lack sufficient ventilation system. Workers density is higher than the normal level.
According to data with different associations, at least 400 employees of several garment factories fell sick due to scorching heat at Konabari and Kashimpur in the city on Thursday.
Besides, a good number of workers in tanneries, footwear factories and other industrial units also fell sick and got admitted to different hospitals due to the abnormal heat wave.
Following the incident, owners of many garment factories shut down their factories and declared general holiday.
“Many of our workers fell sick in the last couple of days due to excessive heat wave and production come down to almost half,”
Shamsuzzaman Rana, Managing Director of Moon Lite Apparel told The New Nation on Thursday.
Agreeing with the claim of insufficient ventilation system in factories, he said, “Many of our factories are built considering normal weather. Factory owners rarely consider unusual situation while appointing workers.”
Mitu Sultana, a hospitalized tannery worker who has been suffering of fever said that heat wave inside the tanneries is many times higher than that of outside.
“Poor ventilation system persists in almost all tanneries. We the workers are hostage of the owners wish. Many of our fellow workers are working with fever and some other sickness against their wish,” she added.
Police have been deployed in different industrial belts to avoid any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that the heat wave will stay for a few more days. The temperature rose to 36.6 degrees Celsius in capital Dhaka on Thursday, while the highest temperature was recorded at 37.7 degrees Celsius in Khulna.
Productions in factories across the country almost halved due to the sweltering heat wave now sweeping across the country, industry insiders said.
High density of workers coupled with lack of ventilation worsened the situation comparing to other sectors and causing many of the workers to become sick.
Workers and insiders said most of the industries, including ready-made garment, footwear, tanneries and bidi factories, largely lack sufficient ventilation system. Workers density is higher than the normal level.
According to data with different associations, at least 400 employees of several garment factories fell sick due to scorching heat at Konabari and Kashimpur in the city on Thursday.
Besides, a good number of workers in tanneries, footwear factories and other industrial units also fell sick and got admitted to different hospitals due to the abnormal heat wave.
Following the incident, owners of many garment factories shut down their factories and declared general holiday.
“Many of our workers fell sick in the last couple of days due to excessive heat wave and production come down to almost half,”
Shamsuzzaman Rana, Managing Director of Moon Lite Apparel told The New Nation on Thursday.
Agreeing with the claim of insufficient ventilation system in factories, he said, “Many of our factories are built considering normal weather. Factory owners rarely consider unusual situation while appointing workers.”
Mitu Sultana, a hospitalized tannery worker who has been suffering of fever said that heat wave inside the tanneries is many times higher than that of outside.
“Poor ventilation system persists in almost all tanneries. We the workers are hostage of the owners wish. Many of our fellow workers are working with fever and some other sickness against their wish,” she added.
Police have been deployed in different industrial belts to avoid any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that the heat wave will stay for a few more days. The temperature rose to 36.6 degrees Celsius in capital Dhaka on Thursday, while the highest temperature was recorded at 37.7 degrees Celsius in Khulna.
