327 Factories Shut Down in Gazipur and Savar, Over 150,000 Workers Left Jobless

Due to the consecutive closure of factories in the Gazipur and Savar–Ashulia industrial zones, garment workers are facing severe hardship. According to the Industrial Police, a total of 327 factories have been closed permanently and temporarily over the past one and a half years. As a result, nearly one hundred and fifty thousand workers have become unemployed.

In Gazipur, the closure of 188 factories has left more than 115,000 workers jobless. Among them, approximately 90,000 workers lost their jobs due to permanent factory closures. In Savar and Ashulia, 139 factories have shut down, causing around 40,000 workers to become unemployed.

Factories are shutting down due to the global economic recession, shortage of purchase orders, increased production costs, energy crisis, lack of cooperation from the banking sector, and political instability. Many workers are unable to find new jobs. Some are pulling rickshaws, working as day laborers, while others are getting involved in criminal activities.

The impact of factory closures has also affected the local economy. In Gazipur, the shutdown of major factories including Beximco has forced thousands of workers to return to their villages. As a result, the housing rental market, local markets, and shops have experienced a downturn. House owners had taken loans to construct houses, but are now facing losses due to the absence of tenants.

The plight of workers has become even more evident through personal experiences. Rustam Ali, a former supervisor of Liz Apparels, said that he used to receive his salary regularly and the working environment was good. However, after the factory closed, it has become difficult to run his family. On the other hand, Aleya Akter, a worker of the Nasa Group, has been unemployed for four months. She said, “I eat one meal a day and starve the next.”

Local businessmen are also suffering losses. Shafiqul Rahman, a grocery shop owner in Ashulia, said that his daily sales used to be 10,000 to 15,000 taka, which has now dropped to three to four thousand taka. With the workers leaving, there are no customers left in the market.

Labor organizations say that the employment crisis is worsening as new factories are not being established. Ashrafuzzaman, a leader of the National Garment Workers’ Jote, said that worker layoffs are happening every day. Many are turning to tailoring, small businesses, or other professions.

Overall, the closure of factories in the Gazipur and Savar industrial areas has brought extreme hardship to the lives of workers. From the local economy to social stability, its negative impacts are being felt across the board.