Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

In the past seven months, several industrial establishments in Narayanganj and Narsingdi have shut down due to protests and various other reasons. These districts, along with Munshiganj, house around 2,000 industries, out of which 23 have permanently closed. As a result, nearly 6,000 workers and employees have lost their jobs. Labor leaders blame political changes and factory owners for these closures.

Investigations reveal that in the last seven months, factories like Green Bangla Home Tex Industries, Asian Falcon Garments, GL Fashion, Master Textile, West Best Attires, Star Cutting & Engineering, Fatullah Fashion, and Master Garments have shut down. These were all small to medium-sized factories that closed due to financial crises and a lack of sufficient orders.

Three major reasons are cited for these closures include most factory owners made this decision due to financial struggles and a lack of orders ; sveral factories owned by businesspeople linked to the ruling Awami League were vandalized and set on fire due to their political affiliations and some business owners close to the ousted Awami League government have gone into hiding, leaving their factories in a fragile state.

Mohammad Hatem, President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), stated that many factories have closed, and workers have lost jobs. He mentioned that arranging outstanding wages and compensation for these workers has been challenging, as most factories still owe payments. Some unemployed workers are finding new jobs, while others are returning to their villages.

Sources from labor unions and industrial police confirm that since August 5, around 20 factories in Narayanganj and Narsingdi have shut down, leaving nearly 6,000 workers unemployed. Many of these workers are protesting on the streets, demanding their due payments and factory reopenings, causing public inconvenience.

M.A. Shaheen, President of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweaters Workers Trade Union (Narayanganj branch), stated that 10 factories, including Fatullah Fashion and Master Garments, have closed, leading to around 4,000 to 5,000 job losses. Additionally, Ena Group has laid off over a hundred workers.

Explaining the reasons behind the closures, he noted that due to the protests in July, major garment factories received fewer work orders, affecting subcontracting factories that rely on larger ones. Some owners with ties to the Awami League have been struggling to operate, while others have gone into hiding. For example, IFS Garments in Nayamat area was shut down because its owner was a friend of Narayanganj Awami League leader Shah Nizam. Similarly, the owner of Uritex Garments also had Awami League connections.

Shaheen further alleged that some factory owners deliberately create disorder among workers as a pretext to shut down operations. They withhold salaries, provoking protests, then terminate protesting workers. If workers resist, they are hit with legal cases. This trend is becoming more common. He emphasized that garment factories need to stay operational for both workers and the industry to survive.

Two motorcyclists killed in N'ganj 

Two motorcyclists lost their lives when an oil tanker truck hit them on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Bandar, Narayanganj.

The victims were identified as Adif Ahmed Shimul (18), son of Yakub Ali from Muradpur, and his friend Sheikh Md. Shaon (17), son of Sheikh Azizur Rahman from the same area. Another friend, Md. Fahim, was injured in the accident.

The incident occurred on Thursday (March 6) at around 10 PM in the Madanpur area, according to Kanchpur Highway Police OC Kazi Wahid Morshed.

Eyewitnesses reported that while taking a U-turn, a speeding oil tanker struck the motorcycle, causing it to be thrown off balance. The truck then ran over the motorcycle before the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.

OC Wahid Morshed confirmed that the three injured were rushed to a local hospital, where doctors pronounced Shimul and Shaon dead. Fahim, who sustained severe injuries, is currently receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Police have seized the oil tanker, but as of Friday noon, no case had been filed regarding the incident.