DHAKA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The recent labor unrest that erupted in several major readymade garment industrial hubs on the outskirts of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka caused damage worth nearly half a billion U.S. dollars.
"We've suffered a production loss of around 400 million dollars due to the unrest in September and October," Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said during a press conference in Dhaka Saturday.
He stressed the importance of maintaining law and order in the industrial hubs as factories are currently operating as usual.
However, work orders from major international clothing retailers and brands have returned to normalcy after volatility of the weeks due to labor unrest, he said.
Hundreds of ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh's Ashulia and Gazipur industrial hubs were shut due to labor unrest which had then persisted for weeks.
Tens of thousands of workers have reportedly waged protests over various demands, including bonus for their attendance, tiffin allowance, stopping workers' termination and other benefits.
Bangladesh has emerged as a significant player in the global garment industry, securing its position as the second-largest garment exporter worldwide after China.
The South Asian country has some 3,500 garment factories, which account for about 85 percent of its around 50 billion dollars in annual exports, supplying many of the world's top brands.
According to the BGMEA, 80 percent of some 4 million workers employed in ready-made garment factories are women.■