With the number of COVID-19 positive cases climbing to 20 in Bangladesh as on Friday, there is a rising clamour among certain quarters to close down readymade garment manufacturing (RMG) units temporarily to arrest the spread of the deadly virus further.
A workers’ welfare organisation namely the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati has called upon authorities to immediately shut down the RMG units for some time to prevent spread of this dreaded disease amongst the garment workers.
A joint statement issued by the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati leaders — President Taslima Akhter, General Secretary, Julhas Nayeen Babu and Organising Secretary Aminul Islam Shama – underlined that thousands of apparel workers are in a vulnerable position due to the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country.
As per the leaders of the organisation, 30 people have so far been infected with the deadly disease and one died of it.
The leaders of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Sanghati further pointed out that water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and precautionary measures like usage of masks and hand sanitisers in factories are inadequate, which further increases the risk for the garment workers.