Staff Reporter :
Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam has assured the owners of garment industry that the garment and textile mills will remain open, even during the severe lockdown across the country.
He said it in a virtual meeting with garment and textile owners on Sunday afternoon.
But, the government has not yet issued a notification in this regard.
In the meeting, FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim, BGMEA Acting President Mohammad Abdus Salam, newly elected President of BGMEA Faruque Hasan, Knit Garment Owners Association BKMEA Vice-President Mohammad Hatem and Textile Owners Association BTMA President Mohammad Ali took part in the session.
After the meeting, BKMEA Vice-President Mohammad Hatem told the media, Even if there is a strict lockdown from April 14, the industrial activities will be continued, the cabinet secretary has confirmed to us on Sunday.
The movement of people will be strictly controlled. Banks may also be closed. If banks remain closed, there will be problems in import and export sector. But the cabinet secretary also assured to take action after understanding the situation, BKMEA vice-president added.
Earlier on Sunday morning, four garment organizations demanded that the garment and textile mills will be kept open during the strict lockdown.
The companies are Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association
(BTMA) and Exporters Association Bangladesh (BEA).
Mohammed Abdus Salam, Acting President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said if the lockdown was imposed, the garment sector would go into a long holiday like during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha.
“So, the sector will not be able to bear the losses.”
Mohammad Hatem, Vice-President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said
No competing countries are on lockdown now. So they will do their business. On the other hand, we will lose our business,” BKMEA Vice-President Hatem said.
The factory owners had been running their units following the health guidelines, he added.
Meanwhile, the decision of Bangladesh Bank to keep the banking system opens in a limited scale to prevent from corona infection. However, the transaction time of the bank has been extended on Monday and Tuesday before the start of the strict lockdown to prevent congestion.
