The government has asked apparel sector trade bodies to take measures to stop termination of workers to avoid any possible labour unrest amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The instruction came after 67 factories have terminated a total of 17,579 workers at Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram.
The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) on Sunday in a letter to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) gave the instruction.
Citing reports of DIFE’s 23 zonal offices prepared after Eid, the letter read a total of 17,579 workers were terminated at the labour intensive industrial zones of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram.
As a result, 2,450 workers from Tanaz Fashions and Viyellatex garments on June 01 blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway which was later resolved with the interference of the law enforcing agencies and DIFE, it said.
Besides, different right groups have also been demanding that termination of workers be stopped, DIFE inspector general said in the letter.
A tripartite meeting held on April 25 also requested the sector leaders not to terminate any workers, taking the overall situation into consideration, he mentioned.
