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Apparel sector going to face hard time again due to Covid-19
DHAKA, April 12, 2021 (BSS) – The readymade garment (RMG) industry, which plays a pivotal role in the country’s economic growth, is going to face hard time again due mainly to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Manufacturers of the sector fear to incur a big loss and shifting of work orders from Bangladesh to other countries if they fail to continue the production and shipments of goods to their international trading partners as per the schedule.
Against the backdrop of surging coronavirus cases, the government has announced another strict enforcement of country-wide lockdown from April 14 to 21. All the public and private offices and transports, excepting the emergency service providing vehicles will remain closed during this time.
Factories will remain open in their own arrangement of owners to continue the country’s vibrant economy.
Moreover, the second wave of the Covid-19 has already become an alarming position across the world.
Talking to BSS, newly elected Director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Khosru Chowdhury said the RMG industry faced an uncertain situation for the Covid-19 pandemic in the last year.
The industry, which is the world’s second largest exporter of readymade garment, has faced huge losses following the cancellation or suspension of orders by buyers, he added.
After the huge losses, garment manufacturers are at last breathing a sigh of relief as work orders for apparel items from international retailers are coming back with the reopening of their stores in the European and American markets, he informed.
In this situation, Khosru Chowdhury, also chairman and managing director of the Nipa Group, said the sector is going to face another hard time due to the second wave of COVID-19.
He thanked the government to keep the factory open and informed that workers of the factories are living near the factory area and the factory owners have ensured health safety at their factories.
Managing Director of the SMS New Generation Apparel Limited Syed Moazzam Hossain said he has already ensured all arrangements for continuing the production during the lockdown to keep the trend of the economy.
He said if the production stops, it will give a negative message to the buyers and they can cancel the work order.
“We will have to fulfill our shipment target. Otherwise, buyers will cancel our work order and they are likely to shift other countries,” he added.
Chairman of Alluring Group Saiful Islam said adequate safety measures have already been taken at the factory levels to protect the workers from the Covid-19 infection.
“We are continuing our production. But it is difficult to utilize hundred percent productions during the lockdown period due to the restriction of traffic movement. The pandemic is likely to hamper the flow of production and shipment,” he added.
In the fiscal 2018-19, Bangladesh exported garment items worth US$34.12 billion, but the amount fell to $27.94billion in the fiscal 2019-20.
Moreover, work orders worth $3.18billion was either cancelled or held up by the international retailers and brands due to the fallouts of the pandemic.
BSS/SPL/KUC/FI/ 1830 hrs