DHAKA – Nearly a month after Bangladesh ordered garment factories shuttered to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the industry is reopening hundreds of them despite risks the disease might spread.
Rubana Huq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BGMEA, said she was under pressure to reopen factories after the pandemic cost the industry more than $3 billion in orders that were cancelled or suspended.
Huq said Tuesday that about 600 factories had reopened during this week, adhering to health protocols. Workers living near the factories are the first to return to the production lines, she said.