Bangladesh garment workers pack streets to demand wages during lockdown

[Shahzaz ud din]

Bangladesh garment workers pack streets to demand wages during lockdown
ReutersApril 18, 2020
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Garment workers in Bangladesh protested on Saturday against non-payment of wages amid the Covid-19 lockdown. — AFP/File
Hundreds of workers poured onto the streets of Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong on Saturday, flouting social distancing rules to demand work and wages during the coronavirus shutdown.

Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest apparel producer after China, is set to lose about $6 billion of export revenues this fiscal year as retailers and brands across the world cancel orders, two industry bodies have said.

The country reported 306 new cases of coronavirus and nine more deaths on Saturday, taking the total to 2,144 cases and 84 deaths.

Those figures are still relatively low compared with the worst-hit regions including China, parts of Europe and the United States.


But health officials have warned that the infection could still spread fast through the surrounding South Asia region, home to a fifth of the world’s population where millions live in packed slums with fragile public health systems.

Read: South Asia’s worsening woes

Neighbouring India reported 991 new cases and 42 new deaths from the virus on Saturday, taking the total number of reported cases to 14,378 and deaths to 480.

Indian health ministry official Lav Agarwal told reporters some districts had not reported any new cases. But he urged people to stick to social distancing rules. “This is a battle for which we have to stay vigilant continuously,” he said.

India is in the fourth week of a nationwide shutdown, though the government has said it will allow industries in the countryside to reopen and some farms to resume work next week.

Sri Lanka’s government said on Saturday it would partially ease restrictions from April 20.

Read: Poor nations face bigger risks in easing restrictions

Bangladesh has sent troops out into the streets to help enforce a shutdown on travel and restrictions on gatherings.

In Chittagong, the crowds of workers on the streets said they were still waiting for last month’s wages.

Police had talked to one factory owner who had promised to make the payments by April 28, local officer Mohammad Zamiruddin told Reuters.

Bangladesh’s government last month launched a $588 million package to help companies in the crucial garments sector pay staff during the pandemic, but manufacturers have said it is not enough.

CORONAVIRUS
WORLD

 

[bluesky]

Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest apparel producer after China, is set to lose about $6 billion of export revenues this fiscal year as retailers and brands across the world cancel orders, two industry bodies have said.

As far as I understand export was normal until the end of February. It means the $6 billion less export can be counted for only to the shortfall in the March-June four month period after COVID-19 spread throughout the western world.

I wonder what happens to an overpopulated and underdeveloped Bangladesh in the next fiscal if the disease is not contained in the west. The govt must sort out a program to distribute the meager resources in the country, mostly agriculture commodities, among all the population so that the country can surmount the present difficulties and linger on until a better future arrives.

 

[Turingsage]

These people need all the support they can get. Its their labour that gave the world cheap affordable clothing. I wish all the best in their endeavors.

 

[UKBengali]

I wonder what happens to an overpopulated and underdeveloped Bangladesh in the next fiscal if the disease is not contained in the west. The govt must sort out a program to distribute the meager resources in the country, mostly agriculture commodities, among all the population so that the country can surmount the present difficulties and linger on until a better future arrives.

That is what the government is planning - returning migrants are being given lakhs of takas to get into farming activities as one example.

Luckily BD is self-sufficient in major stables like rice, potatoes, milk, eggs, chicken, fish and beef. Only major stable that BD is not yet self-sufficient in is onions but already steps have been taken after the India ban on exports last year to increase production in BD and I am sure that BD can grow enough now if it really needed to.

Road and rail Infrastructure is a bit better to allow food to be more easily and quickly moved across the country.

It will be difficult but somehow BD is sure to cope through this pandemic.

 

[Arulmozhi Varman]

It's testing times for almost everyone. Developing nations depend on work from developed world. We do not know how much time it's going for the west to recover. Even if takes 4 months for west to recover, with stocks in, new orders will almost take a year to materialize. This is true for almost every product.

 

[bluesky]

That is what the government is planning - returning migrants are being given lakhs of takas to get into farming activities as one example.

Luckily BD is self-sufficient in major stables like rice, potatoes, milk, eggs, chicken, fish and beef. Only major stable that BD is not yet self-sufficient in is onions but already steps have been taken after the India ban on exports last year to increase production in BD and I am sure that BD can grow enough now if it really needed to.

Road and rail Infrastructure is a bit better to allow food to be move easily and quickly moved across the country.

It will be difficult but somehow BD is sure to cope through this pandemic.

Bold part: BD is not really that self-sufficient in food production. it is more true during calamities. Some low level political goons have the tendency to hoard farm goods. So, the news says the govt has asked the importing companies to import essential goods from abroad that also include onion.

I believe it is the most appropriate decision under the prevailing circumstances. People must survive the present calamity.

 

[UKBengali]

Bold part: BD is not really that self-sufficient in food production. it is more true during calamities. Some low level political goons have the tendency to hoard farm goods. So, the news says the govt has asked the importing companies to import essential goods from abroad that also include onion.

I believe it is the most appropriate decision under the prevailing circumstances. People must survive the present calamity.

BD has many months of rice stored in silos from the recent bumper harvests.

In one district 50000 litres of milk per week is being thrown away as demand is not there anymore.

What little gap there exists between current production and demand can be closed with efforts.

With food it is not how much is available but the distribution that will be the challenge.

Our people are very good farmers and will rise to the occasion!

 

[nahtanbob]

As far as I understand export was normal until the end of February. It means the $6 billion less export can be counted for only to the shortfall in the March-June four month period after COVID-19 spread throughout the western world.

I wonder what happens to an overpopulated and underdeveloped Bangladesh in the next fiscal if the disease is not contained in the west. The govt must sort out a program to distribute the meager resources in the country, mostly agriculture commodities, among all the population so that the country can surmount the present difficulties and linger on until a better future arrives.

Unless a vaccine comes out it is a matter of time before corona virus hits a poor country with large population
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh are prime targets

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Unless a vaccine comes out it is a matter of time before corona virus hits a poor country with large population
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh are prime targets

Even if vaccine comes out it will not be cheap and will not be available for masses for at least a year more...

 

[nahtanbob]

Even if vaccine comes out it will not be cheap and will not be available for masses for at least a year more...

i won't worry about the cost. Even at $50 per head it is worth every penny. the real issue is when will it be available

 

[bluesky]

With food it is not how much is available but the distribution that will be the challenge.

The main issue is the purchasing power of the population who remain without a living wage. Even if a country has ample food many people would go hungry because of inability to purchase. There was a time until 1975, foods were smuggled out to India while our people starved.

But, why? Because, people without farmland had no jobs to earn money to buy foods. Farmers are not supposed to donate foods to the needy all the time. So, the question is not if BD has ample food. The immediate issue is if people have regular earnings and purchasing power.

If covid-19 continues, it would be wiser for the govt to take up many hundreds of rural public works projects (not prestige projects) where people would be earning living wages.

 

[UKBengali]

The main issue is the purchasing power of the population who remain without a living wage. Even if a country has ample food many people would go hungry because of inability to purchase. There was a time until 1975, foods were smuggled out to India while our people starved.

But, why? Because, people without farmland had no jobs to earn money to buy foods. Farmers are not supposed to donate foods to the needy all the time. So, the question is not if BD has ample food. The immediate issue is if people have regular earnings and purchasing power.

If covid-19 continues, it would be wiser for the govt to take up many hundreds of rural public works projects (not prestige projects) where people would be earning living wages.

I believe the ability of population to buy/be given food for free will be sorted one way or another.
As an example 5 million of the poorest families are being given ration cards where the government will give them basic essentials for free.
The main problem is getting all these different schemes up and running efficiently.

 

[bluesky]

I believe the ability of population to buy/be given food for free will be sorted one way or another.
As an example 5 million of the poorest families are being given ration cards where the government will give them basic essentials for free.
The main problem is getting all these different schemes up and running efficiently.

Ration card and others will continue if the disease continues. But, these are not long term solution. There will be a time when the country would have to go after many public works projects instead of giving food for free. A king becomes a beggar idling away his days. A poor country with so many mouths certainly cannot sustain by giving free foods to its unemployed.

Anyway, the best thing is to discover vaccine to stop infection and some other medicines for cure. Otherwise, the entire human race will become at the risk of being extinct.

 

[UKBengali]

Ration card and others will continue if the disease continues. But, these are not long term solution. There will be a time when the country would have to go after many public works projects instead of giving food for free. A king becomes a beggar idling away his days. A poor country with so many mouths certainly cannot sustain by giving free foods to its unemployed.

Anyway, the best thing is to discover vaccine to stop infection and some other medicines for cure. Otherwise, the entire human race will become at the risk of being extinct.

I agree with you but some people will just have to be given food for free.

It would not be possible for everyone to "earn' their food.

As for entire human race being extinct if no vaccine is found, no chance as the mortality rate from Covid-19 is thought to be 1% at most and it only generally preys on the old and the sick.

 

[bluesky]

As for entire human race being extinct if no vaccine is found, no chance as the mortality rate from Covid-19 is thought to be 1% at most and it only generally preys on the old and the sick.

Yes, you are right to say that age plays a greater role to diminish the immunity. One such excerpt is below:

"With advancing age, the body has fewer T cells, which produce virus-fighting chemicals. By puberty, the thymus is producing tenfold fewer T cells than it did in childhood, Nikolich-Zugich said; by age 40 or 50, there is another tenfold drop".

"That leaves the body depleted of T cells that have not yet been programmed to defend against a specific microbe. Fewer such “naïve T cells” means fewer able to be deployed against a never-before-seen microbe".