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The garments industries of the country are now facing a new kind of threat. Recently, a number of incidents occurred at some export-oriented garment factories near the capital city where some workers went wild and ransacked factories, damaged machinery and even manhandled some employees. The worst such cases of violence were reported from Jirabo-Bishmail at Savar and Kanchpur in Narayangonj on October 14 and October 19 respectively. The so-called workers created such an anarchic situation on the premises of the Opex and Sinha Textile Mills at Kanchpur in the latest incident of violence that a pitched battle among the workers, the local people and the members of the law enforcement agencies ensued. The whole nation was aghast and intrigued at such untoward developments in the garment industries.
What intrigued those who watched the mysterious incidents of violence at the garment factories closely is that the workers involved in those chaotic incidents had no specific demands to place before the authorities of those industries. So, naturally the question arises as to what were the purposes of those alleged face-offs between the workers and the management of the garment industries? Of late, frequent incidents of fire and building collapse had brought the issue of insecurity of the workers, most of whom are females, in the garment factories of the country to the fore. The owners of the garment factories are as a result bearing the brunt of public criticism about their alleged apathy towards the well-being of the workers.
In this backdrop, it has become a common practice among many quarters, well meaning or otherwise, to point an accusing finger, in the event of any untoward development in the garment factories, at the owners of those factories and castigate the latter for their alleged neglectful attitude towards the workers. And under the circumstances, it has also become easier for those with an axe to grind to fish in the troubled waters. The latest incidents of violence at the aforementioned garment factories force one to look at the recent developments in the garment factories from a fresh angle. Why are the garments factories being singled out for such acts of lawlessness and mayhem? Are these only stray incidents of no special significance? Or, are there some vested quarters behind those incidents with an ulterior motive? Who are those people who had started the acts of vandalism on the factory premises in the first place? Are they employees of the factories concerned or agents provocateurs planted by some unknown quarters to create trouble for only trouble's sake? These questions are pertinent to the recent happenings in the country's garment industries. It is important that authorities concerned should find immediate answers to those questions. This is more so in view of the statement by the leaders of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the representative body of the owners of the industries in the sector, and also the functionaries of the relevant labour unions, on Monday, blaming outsiders for provoking attacks on readymade garment (RMG) units.
The urgency of searching for convincing answers to the above questions lies in the fact that the garments industries are still considered as the biggest foreign currency earners of the country. Though these establishments often draw the flak from the government leaders and the media, they have been contributing hugely to the overall growth of the nation's economy all the same. The robustness of the indigenous garments industry was proved beyond doubt after the withdrawal of the quota facilities under the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) on January 01, 2005. The local garments industry deserves its kudos as it sailed smoothly through the troubled waters of the post-MFA uncertainties, defying all speculations and prognostication of the doomsayers. Is it then not very strange that this vigorous sector of the economy has now come under attack from quite an unexpected direction? It is time that the government and all the stakeholders should put their heads together to ferret out the culprits responsible for creating anarchy and destabilisation in the garments sector and bring them to justice without anymore delay.
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