Since the political upheaval last year, Bangladesh’s garment and textile sector has suffered a severe downturn, with 96 factories in Gazipur and Savar-Ashulia permanently shutting their doors between August 2023 and 28 January this year.
This wave of closures has resulted in mass unemployment, with over 61,000 workers and employees left without a source of income.
Gazipur alone accounts for 56 of these shutdowns, including 13 factories under Beximco, while Savar-Ashulia has witnessed 40 closures.
Many of these establishments were export-oriented garment factories, now silenced due to a combination of financial crises, a lack of work orders, and operational constraints.
Workers in Distress
Among the displaced workers is Sharmin Akter, 27, who previously worked in the printing section of Niagara Textile in Chandra, Kaliakair, Gazipur.
The factory ceased operations on 14 November due to a decline in export orders, rendering her and 4,000 others jobless.
Now living in a modest, rented room in Chandra, Sharmin describes her plight: “My husband works as a hotel cleaner, earning a meagre wage. Our household relied on my salary. With no job, I have unpaid grocery bills, outstanding electricity dues, and months of unpaid rent. Out of sheer financial desperation, I had to send my only daughter, Maria, back to our village.”
A visit to the now-defunct Niagara factory paints a desolate picture—locked gates, abandoned workstations, and a few security personnel guarding the premises.
The once-bustling production floors now lie covered in dust, symbolising the mounting hardships faced by its former workforce.
A similar fate has befallen the 4,274 employees of Birds Group Limited in Burirbazar, Ashulia.
The factory, a member of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), ceased operations on 29 August, leaving thousands without livelihoods.
Saheda Begum, a knitting department worker at Birds Group, is among those grappling with the aftermath.
With her husband bedridden after an accident and three children in school, she previously managed all expenses—including financial support for her elderly in-laws in the village.
“Now, my children’s education has stopped, my husband’s treatment is on hold, and even putting food on the table has become an uphill battle,” she laments.
Authorities Acknowledge the Crisis
According to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) in Gazipur, 56 factories have shut down since 5 August, with 20 of them being BGMEA-affiliated, including 13 under Beximco.
The majority of the others were small subcontracting units. Reasons for closure include lack of orders (33 factories), financial distress (21), gas shortages (01), and relocation (01).
Beximco’s shuttered factories alone had employed 28,513 workers, while another 19,712 were engaged in other now-defunct factories. In total, Gazipur alone has seen 48,225 workers rendered jobless.
Assistant Chief Inspector of Factories and Establishments in Gazipur, Motaleb Mia, confirmed that his department is investigating the precise causes of the closures and assessing measures to facilitate reopening where possible.
“We are working to determine the exact reasons for these shutdowns and what steps can be taken to restart operations,” he said.
Financial Woes Deepen
Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, AKM Zahirul Islam, attributed the closures primarily to financial difficulties, ownership transfers, and unresolved bank loan rescheduling.
“The majority of these factories shut down due to financial distress. The closures have also affected local businesses, housing rents, and the overall economic activity of the region,” he noted.
A tour of the industrial hubs in Savar and Ashulia reveals a grim scenario—workers wandering from factory to factory in search of employment, only to return empty-handed. Many are now subsisting on meagre rations or skipping meals altogether.
Anwar Hossain, a former cutting department worker at General Nexet Fashion in Dhanaid, Ashulia, shared his despair: “I was doing well, supporting my parents, wife, and children. But with the factory shutting down, more than 4,500 workers, including myself, have been left without work.”
Superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, highlighted the broader crisis engulfing the sector.
“The Savar-Ashulia industrial zone has 1,863 factories, including both RMG and non-RMG units. Since 5 August, labour unrest over wage hikes, financial constraints, and lack of work has led to the permanent closure of 40 factories,” he explained.
With no immediate solutions in sight, thousands of workers are left grappling with uncertainty, financial hardship, and an increasingly bleak future.
