Workers came in droves due to confusing signals
The reports and visuals of thousands of garment workers coming back to Dhaka from their villages all over the country, cramming into ferries, pickups, trucks or walking on foot, are extremely concerning as such an influx and crowding of people are the perfect recipe for a rapid spread of the coronavirus. It completely defeats the purpose of the government's shutdown and directives of social distancing. The reason why these workers came back is simple: they wanted to keep their jobs and they wanted to collect their salaries. Many were called back by their employers. We simply do not understand how, if there is a shutdown, some units in the garment sector should remain open so that workers are compelled to come to work.
Obviously, there has been some ambivalence regarding the shutdown in the case of the garment factories. The BGMEA has requested all factories to remain closed until April 11. But the fact remains that all these people have come into the city in droves significantly increasing the risk of contracting the infection themselves and spreading it to others. Now that many of them will probably go back home, there could be another phase of spreading of the virus. So why did this happen?
It happened because the BGMEA did not give a clear direction before that all factories must be closed down. The workers were not given the assurance that they would still have their jobs and that they would be paid their wages during their absence. Such assurance was crucial to ensure the shutdown would be maintained. In fact, there were rumours that factories would be laying off workers causing further panic. According to a report in this paper, the government's Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment (DIFE) repeatedly said that the factory authorities could keep their units open, but they needed to ensure adequate safety measures for their workers. How can safety be ensured when practically it is very difficult to have social distancing and safety gear for all workers inside the garment factories? A vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association has said factories working to meet work orders could run their units and those without work orders can reopen on April 10.
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