IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BANGLADESH TEXTILE INDUSTRY

  The textile industry of Bangladesh is considered as the second largest exporter of readymade garments and textile. The daily increase of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh resulted in a state of lockdown that started on 26^th March, 2020 and lasted till 30^th May, 2020. The “Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association” closed all the factories to adhere with the government orders. The shipment procedure of clothing also got difficult due to the lockdowns. Trucks were stopped to reach their destinations. The demand for online shopping has increased in this time because the offline shops were closed. But, it was impossible to handle the supply chain that can meet the demands of online shopping. The changes to freight options did not solve the problem.

Figure 1: COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh

(Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/files/Articles/546356/fpubh-08-00154-HTML/image_m/fpubh-08-00154-g001.jpg)

As a result of lockdown, nearly 10 million working professionals which include RMG workers left their job and went to their hometowns. They were not able to sustain without work in Dhaka. The RMG workers were having uncertainty about whether they will be paid wages for essentials such as health check-up, and foods. They were also concerned about the reopening of factories after the pandemic period. The textile industry faced a total of $3.76 billion for the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be considered as a significant loss for the industry. But, after the pandemic is over, government of Bangladesh provided a large amount to the export industry to regain the previous condition.

Figure 2: Labours and lockdown in Bangladesh

(Source: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0240709)

After the lockdown ended, unfortunately, no one followed the safety rules in Bangladesh. Some huge crowds were reported on ferries, and busses. They did not maintain personal protection which posed a serious risk for the transmission of infection. As a result, the workers of the industry fell seek and they were isolated in their homes. This also caused losses for the industry.