Bangladesh garment job losses mount

DHAKA — At least 20,000 workers from Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector have reportedly been laid off or retrenched so far this year, according to data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the country’s Industrial Police.

A total of 19,188 workers have been dismissed or retrenched by 80 BGMEA member factories, 27 of which have subsequently shut down, according to the figures published by Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo and highlighted by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.