DHAKA, May 1, 2020 (BSS) -Conducting health and safety audit in the last
four days, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
has so far found 144 factories in satisfactory level amid the concern of
deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
A BGMEA spokesperson today told BSS that the audit teams headed by six
board of directors of the apex trade body of the apparel sector inspected a
total of 147 factories so far.
“The other three need improvements in terms of density”, he said, the
three factories have been suggested immediate corrective action plans to
resume operations.
He revealed that a total of 1,061 factories out of BGMEA’s 2,274 members
resumed operation in limited scale from April 26.
Earlier, BGMEA formed the six committees to inspect health safety of member
factories amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Six directors of the association are leading the monitoring of factories in
six different zones of the country to curb the COVID-19 spread in apparel
factories.
The BGMEA spokesperson said the audit teams have been paying sudden visit
to factories in Dhaka Metropolitan, Savar, Ashulia, two zones in Gazipur, and
Narayanganj and Narshingdi.
“The reports of the audit teams are being evaluated every day,” he added.
BGMEA said knitting and dyeing units of their member factories has reopened
from April 26 while the garment section would be reopened after May 1.
It said the dyeing factories which are not members of BKMEA but
subcontract with the knitwear manufacturers would also reopen in April 26.
Meanwhile, garment factory owners have initiated a process to set up four
testing labs in Ashulia-Savar, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram for
detecting coronavirus among workers.
Tests will be done free of cost among apparel workers for detecting
coronavirus. Besides, workers of other sectors would also get access to test
COVID-19 free of cost there, said BGMEA officials.