All factories have paid Eid bonus: BGMEA

Garment makers yesterday claimed that they have paid salaries of their workers for the month of June and festival bonus for Eid-ul-Fitr.

However, The Daily Star could not verify the claims.

As of yesterday, 99.95 percent of the factories have paid their festival bonus, said Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, at a press conference at noon at their headquarters in Dhaka.

Only two or three garment factories are yet to pay the salaries for the month of June, he said.

“The remaining two or three factories will also complete the payment of salaries for the month of June before 4pm today.”

A central crisis management team is working to monitor the payment situation of workers ahead of Eid, he said.

Separate crisis management committees are working in nine zones across the country to keep watch on the matter.

“If there is any crisis anywhere, the central crisis management committee and regional committees will act together to resolve it, as the owners have been asked to complete the payment by July 4,” Rahman added.

All the factories have announced their Eid vacation, and many of the garment workers have already left for their village homes, he said.

Expressing deep condolence for the deceased in the terrorist attack at Holey Artisan Bakery, BGMEA leaders said there might not be any bad impact on the garment business.

“We have faced some challenges in recent years like the Rana Plaza collapse and frequent shutdowns due to political crisis. We have overcome those challenges with our skills and resilience,” Rahman said.

Some of the major retailers have already contacted us and said they will not pull out their business from Bangladesh, Rahman said.

“However, if such heinous atrocities take place frequently, we will definitely lose our garment business in future.”