AMN/ WEB DESK
In the middle of the ongoing ‘strict lockdown’ in the country, export oriented factories including Ready Made Garment (RMG) factories will open from Sunday in Bangladesh. The cabinet division of the government issued a circular to this effect on Friday. The representatives of the garment manufacturers and exporters had made a plea to open the factories as the lockdown may affect exports adversely.
Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector contributes more than 80 percent of the foreign exchange earnings of Bangladesh and employs over 4 million people.
Government has further extended the closure of educational institutions till Aug 31.
Earlier, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had said that it recommends extension of the current restrictions in view of the worsening COVID situation in the country. The current positivity rate in the country stands at 30.77 percent as on Friday.
While the public transport in the country is suspended, a large number of workers are reported to be returning back to Dhaka using whatever means of transport they can manage. Ferry terminals like Paturia Ghat and Shimulia are seeing large numbers of people trying to return to Dhaka though the ferries are operating only for emergency vehicles.