Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked all concerned to explore new markets for Bangladeshi garments with invention of newer items keeping pace with its ever-changing trend. "They, who are working with garments and their exports, will have to find new markets. Newer products will have to be produced keeping in mind that the choices vary with different countries," she said. The premier was addressing as the chief guest a function marking the National Textiles Day-2022 and inauguration of six textile educational institutes in six districts, joining from her official Ganabhaban residence here through a video conference.   The Ministry of Textiles and Jute organised the function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital city.   The prime minister said Bangladesh has to coordinate the fresh ideas with its old and historical tradition in textiles, for which, a university on fashion and design was established in the private sector to prepare skilled manpower.   "Fashion and design are very important and they are changing constantly. We have to keep pace with the ever-changing trend of garments and realise which design is high in demand," she said.   The newly inaugurated six textile institutes are: Sheikh Rehana Textile Engineering College in Gopalganj, Sheikh Russel Textile Institute, Jamalpur, Shahid Abdur Rob Serniabat Textile Institute, Gouronodi, Barishal, Shahid Kamaruzzaman Textile Institute, Naogaon, Begum Amina Mansur Textile Engineering Institute, Sirajganj and Bhola Textile Institute.   Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi (Birpratik), its Secretary Md. Abdur Rauf and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Acting President Shahidullah Azim also spoke at the function.

The cabinet division has informed that all the export oriented industrial units including garments will remain open from August 1 (Sunday) after abiding by the health protocol. The information was delivered through a press release signed by cabinet division Deputy Secretary Md. Rezaul Islam on Friday afternoon. The press release said, during the ongoing period of maintaining restrictions to curb the transmission of coronavirus, all the export oriented industrial mills and factories will remain open from August 1. Earlier on Thursday the business leaders of FBCCI met Cabinet Secretary Khandakar Anwarul Islam and demanded for reopening of export oriented industrial sector. Mentionable that the government has imposed 14-day strict restrictions to prevent spread of coronavirus from July 23 to August 5. In this period direction was given to restrict people’s movement, besides directions were given to remain all types of transport, shops, shopping malls, garments and other export oriented mill-factories such as garments closed. But the owners of the mills and factories also demanded to reopen their units. Based on their demand the cabinet division took the decision to reopen the export oriented mill and factories. AH     

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has allocated 30 buses to facilitate the garments workers to reach their destinations during Eid-ul-Fitr. Those buses will be ready for journey from the morning of June 3 (Monday) at Gazipur intersection. From that day to till the earlier day of Eid day the garments workers can reach their different destinations boarded on those buses after the beginning of Eid vacation in the factories. In this regard BRTC Deputy General Manager (Operations- Truck) Moniruzzaman Babu said, garments workers face transport crisis after declaring vacation of factories during Eid. Then they move taking many risks. For this reason we have provided 30 buses for the garments workers. The buses will be positioned at Gazipur intersection from June 3 next. From there those will leave towards different destinations according to demands. Meanwhile, in a notice BRTC informed that more 50 buses have been reserved in different depot to provide service for the general passengers during Eid. AH     

The government has announced minimum wage for the garments workers. It was announced keeping minimum wage 8 thousand taka. It will be effective after the month of December next. State Minister for Labor and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu announced the wage structure at an emergency press conference at the ministry on Thursday. On January 14 of the current year the government formed wage board for the garments workers. The wage board consisting four permanent members, president of garments owners’ association-BGMEA and a representative from the workers fixed the wage considering the overall matters. Earlier, on November 7, 2013 the gazette was issued fixing minimum wage 5 thousand 300 taka for the garments workers. AH

85 percent garments workers are victims of sexual harassment in work places, said a statistics. From supervisors to middle class officials of the factories are responsible for the harassment. The statistics was upheld in a seminar titled ‘Situation of gender based violence in garments industry’ at the Daily Star center on Monday. Sojag organized the program under joint initiatives from five women based organizations- BLAST, BRAC, Christian Aid, Naripakkha and SNV. Sojag Project Director Rawshan Ara presented the statistics in the seminar. Sojag Coalition Team Leader Mahin Sultan discussed over the statistics. The statistics were made based on interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with 382 women garments workers in 8 factories at Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur from March to June of the current year. Each of the factories is covered by compliance and half of these are covenanted with Sojag coalition. It was seen in the statistics, 22 percent workers said they faced physical, mental and sexual harassment in and outside of the factory premises. 66 percent workers said, they do not want any cooperation or remedy from factory committee because committee cannot provide justice. 11 percent workers think that they are unsafe in the work place. 83 percent workers think that indecent behavior in work place, uncomfortable checking during entrance of the factories, unexpected touch of male colleagues and attempt to create sexual relation are harassment. 68 percent said, there is no active sexual harassment protection committee in work place. Begum Morsheda, law division Assistant Secretary of the ministry of labor and empowerment, Renaissance Group corporate head of human resource Syeda Shaila Ashraf and others were present in the program. AH

The apex organization of readymade garments businessmen BGMEA proposed to fix taka 6,360 as minimum wage for the garments workers. President of the organization Siddiqur Rahman said that this wage was fixed considering the inflation. His proposal came in at the third meeting of the minimum wage commission on Monday. Minimum wage commission chairman Syed Aminul Islam was present in the meeting. Workers leader Begum Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan among others was present on behalf of the workers. Proposal was made from the workers to fix 12,020 taka as the total minimum wage for the garments workers. The new wage frame work was made considering the livelihood expense of workers, quality, production cost, inflation, types of work, risk and quality, business ability and other socio economic affairs. Meanwhile, Garment Workers Trade Union held human chain program in front of minimum wage board office at Paltan in the capital for their demand of fixing minimum wage 16,000 taka. BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said, 11 matters are considered to fix the wage of workers. No exception was made this time. We proposed wage 6,360 taka for the worker of minimum grade 7th. Later wages for other grades will be increased gradually. Workers leader Shamsunnahar Bhuiyan said, some organizations proposed to fix minimum wage 16,000 taka and some other 18,000 taka. But in our country qualifications are not the same for all garments workers. New technologies have come in this sector. Experienced people are needed in this regard. So we want that any inexperienced person becomes jobless. Besides, capacity of providing wages for all of our factories is not the same. We hope that wage commission will consider the matters. AH     

Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed said, seven out of world’s best ten garments factories certified by United States Green Building Council (USGBC) are situated in Bangladesh. So far 67 factories were certified as green factories by USGBC. In addition nearly 300 green garments factories are under construction. He delivered the information while responding to a written question of treasury bench member M Abdul Latif in the parliament in the question answering session on Monday. Tofael Ahmed said, there is no specific provision regarding green factory according to labor act and labor regulations. But according to the compliance report from January to December, 2017 by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment, the number of A grade readymade garments factories is 436 and the number is 228 for B grade factories. He said, efforts are going on to ensure compliance after gradually considering the readymade garments factories as environment friendly and green factory. He also said, there are commercial wing in the 21 missions in the world. Of those, 9 missions have failed to achieve the target of first four months in the 2017-18 fiscal. Letters have been issued to the concerned officials of the missions from Export Promotion Bureau so that we can take necessary action to promote our activities. The Commerce Minister said, the government has different plans to make all conscious including the businessmen to face the challenge of international trade. Trainings are being provided to concerned people from the WTO cell to face the risk. Six training programs and more than one workshop were arranged in this fiscal for all concerned like businessmen, trade related officials and university teachers to face the risk of international trade. AH          

‘The budget which the Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith proposed for the year 2018-19, is business friendly but the proposal that was made in the budget for increasing corporate tax in garments industry is not desirable.’ In a post budget press conference held at the BGMEA bhaban on Saturday president of the organization Siddiqur Rahman made this comment. The corporate tax rate was increased from 12 percent to 15 percent in the proposed budget and it was increased from 10 percent to 12 percent for the green industry. Siddiqur Rahman said, this is not desirable, we will solve the issue through discussions. But overall the budget is business friendly. Employment and investment will increase through this budget. He said, budget will not be made based on the garments industry only. There is no good news or bad news for the garments industry in this budget. The main problem for this industry is VAT. There will be harassment if there is VAT. So we are making demand for keeping the export sector free from VAT. The BGMEA president said, our demand was to withdraw tax at source from garments industry. But there is no specific direction in the budget proposals. We hope that the matter will be solved through discussions. AH   

In the current year’s January-March term the export earnings from garments items has increased by 84 crore 25 lakh dollars. It is 11.67 percent higher than the previous year. A high ranking officer of Banglades Bank said, garments sector of Bangladesh is going on forward though price in the international markets has decreased. This is happening for political stability in the country. He mentioned that the production has also increased. According to the central bank’s information, 806 crore dollars were earned through garments export in these three months. It was 721 crore dollars in the same period of the year 2017. Readymade garments are the main export earning sector of the country. In the last term 85 percent of the total export earnings have come from this sector. President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) Moazzem Hossain said, the foreign exchange that comes from different parts of the world, of those lion portion comes from the readymade garments export. He mentioned that following government initiatives and concerned authorities involvement the success is achieved. He said, production in this sector is increasing and as a result export earnings are also increasing. He also mentioned that buyers are getting the most benefits from Bangladesh market. The reason is that at one side production is increasing, on the other hand the exporters are not getting their desired prices. According to Bangladesh Bank information, about 40 lakh people are working in 4 thousand garments factories. The number was 20 lakh in one decade ago. USA, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Canada are the main countries that imports readymade garments products from Bangladesh. In the last quarter the export was 644 crore dollars to these nine countries. AH

The law enforcing agencies have expressed fear of workers discontent for paying salary, bonus before Eid in two hundred garments factories in different parts of the country including Dhaka. The law enforcement agency members delivered the information in Garments Crisis Management Core Committee meeting at the secretariat on Tuesday. Leaders of different factory owners and workers organizations were present in the meeting presided over by State Minister for Labor and Employment Mujibul Haque. Additional DIG of police (Intelligence and Special Affairs) Md. Moniruzzaman in the meeting said, payment has to be made if crisis takes place even there is no ability, so it is better to do in advance. He said, we have specific information that 200 garments factories including 122 in Dhaka and 48 outside Dhaka will not be able to pay salary and bonus before Eid. If problem occurs in 20 factories then the Eid will be ruined. If the workers take position on roads then the automobiles ply on North Bengal, Chattogram and Sylhet route will stop. So we are requesting to solve the problems by sitting one to one. Moniruzzaman said, there are some NGOs and other stake holders that are political organizations more than labor organizations. We are requesting to consider the matters. He also said, this is the year of election, certain quarters may take some benefits centering the labor discontent. In the meeting BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said, we cannot create pressure on the factories that are not our members. We are not allowing membership that does not meet the compliance. We are making a database. The number of workers in our enlisted member factories is 30 lakh. He said, the new minimum wages will be implemented from December. We are calculating on what will be the wages and what to do. We are working, holding meetings. We will declare the wages by September. State Minister for Labor and Employment Mujibul Haque said, there are some NGOs who intentionally spreading propaganda against us. We all need to be alert over the matters. AH