95 factories permanently closed in Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and Narsingdi over the last seven months

Over the last seven months, 95 factories have been permanently closed in the areas of Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and Narsingdi. As a result, around 62,000 workers and employees have lost their jobs. Most of the workers have not yet received their due wages and service benefits (financial benefits received at the end of employment). Financial crisis, lack of work orders, and political instability are being blamed for the closure of the factories. According to Industrial Police data, 54 factories have closed in Gazipur, 23 in Narayanganj and Narsingdi, and 18 in Savar-Ashulia.

Workers employed in these factories are now struggling with the pain of unemployment and an uncertain future. Many are looking for new jobs, while some are thinking of returning to their villages. Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said, "We are trying to pay the due wages of the workers as the factories have shut down suddenly. But this is not an easy task."

Shahin আলম, an unemployed worker of Mahmud Jeans Apparel in Gazipur, said, "I have been unemployed since the factory closed. I am not getting a new job. Now I have to run my family by driving an auto-rickshaw." The same picture prevails in the Savar and Ashulia areas as well. Four and a half thousand workers of the Generation Next Fashion factory are now unemployed. Although the factory authority has announced the payment of workers' service benefits in six installments until next November, uncertainty still remains in the minds of many workers.

Labor leader Babul Akhter said, "Government initiatives are needed to ensure compensation for the workers of the closed factories. Beximco workers are receiving compensation, but workers of other factories are still deprived of their rights."