Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD has advised garment factories in Bangladesh to reopen gradually after ensuring health and safety of workers because a long-term shutdown will hurt the economy.
He was speaking at a virtual discussion titled "7th Anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy: Crisis of Workers and Employers during the Coronavirus Pandemic - Government Initiatives and Way Forward", organised by the CPD.
Most of the garment factories have kept their operations shut after the government enforced a countrywide lockdown from March 26 to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection. The lockdown has been extended to May 5.
Bangladesh may lose its competitiveness in the international markets due to a lengthy production suspension as countries such as China and Vietnam have resumed their manufacturing lines.
The Rana Plaza building, which housed several garment factories, collapsed on April 24 in 2013, killing more than 1,134 people, mostly workers, and injuring another 2,500. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is preparing a standard operating procedure such that the factories can resume production soon. The association plans to set up three coronavirus testing units and 130 private clinics in Gazipur for the workers once the units are reopened.
