The Eid-ul-Fitr vacations for workers in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry are scheduled to start, with possible extensions of up to 10 days, including a three-day official public holiday.
In a collaborative effort between factory owners and employees, workers may opt for an additional 6 to 7 days of leave, which can be adjusted against their accumulated weekly and annual leave. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has issued a notice stating that the government has officially declared 3rd April (Thursday) as a public holiday. However, this declaration does not extend to private industries or factories, leading to factory-specific holiday schedules established in accordance with labour laws, as communicated by BGMEA.
According to the BGMEA notice, the precise commencement of the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday will be determined through discussions between factory management and workers’ representatives, in compliance with existing labor regulations.
Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), commented to the local media, stating, “The government holiday is limited to three days. Many workers, however, are opting to extend their leave by an additional 5 to 7 days. Some have already compensated for these extended leaves by working on their weekly days off in advance, while others intend to do so upon returning from the holiday. This allows workers to take a total of 8 to 10 days off, including the official three-day holiday. Nonetheless, these arrangements are contingent on discussions between workers and factory owners, as some factories, due to workload constraints, may not be able to grant extended holidays.”
The holiday period for factories varies, with 161 factories announcing vacations starting from 26th March, 374 from 27th March, 648 from 28th March, and 924 from 29th March, as reported by BGMEA.
In terms of financial obligations, 207 factories have yet to disburse their employees’ Eid bonuses, despite directives to clear these bonuses by the 20th of Ramadan and pay half of March’s salary before the Eid vacation. Additionally, 24 factories have not yet settled February salaries, and one factory has not paid January salaries. As per labour laws, factory owners are required to pay employees within seven working days of the subsequent month.
Currently, 11 BGMEA-member factories are at risk of unrest due to delays in wage and Eid bonus payments. According to Mapped in Bangladesh (MIB), the country has a total of 3,555 export-oriented garment factories employing approximately 3.053 million workers.
Eid-ul-Fitr is anticipated to fall on 31st March, pending moon sighting. The Ministry of Public Administration has declared five consecutive holidays from 29th March to 2nd April, which includes three public holidays, alongside the 3rd April general holiday, resulting in a nine-day Eid vacation for Government employees.
