Leading buyers of readymade garments (RMG) were wary of the situation in the RMG sector as the tensions rose over the Tuba workers' payments.
"Labour unrest at several garment units including those of Tuba Group is giving a bad message to the global market badly affecting expansion of the country's RMG export destinations", secretary general of Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBHA) Aminul Islam told the FE.
He said a large number of international buyers of Bangladeshi apparel products were expressing their concerns to the local manufacturers about the tensions in the RMG sector.
They were also saying that the photos and videos of police action against the protesting workers were prompting both new and old buyers to turn to other countries.
"Our foreign buyers are telling us that the common consumers in their countries are unwilling to buy Bangladeshi products for the recent action by law enforcers against the workers," he said.
Mr Islam, also Managing Director of City Import & City Apparel Tex, said buyers including apparel giants like Wal-Mart, JC Penny, Zara, Tesco, IKEA, Marks and Spencer, H&M, Uniqlo and Li&Fung expressed their concern about the condition in the garment and textile sectors and the prospects for their business in the country.
Former president of BGBHA Qayum Reza Chowdhury said: "The global buyers are losing their interest in doing business with local entrepreneurs as labour unrest and production disruption are now giving a bad impression about our ability."
He said a large number of international buyers had been observing with great concern the current situation in the garment sector before placing new work orders.
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), export orders for RMG from buyers in the traditional and new markets dropped by around 25 to 30 per cent in the first half of the current calendar year.
If the local RMG manufacturers cannot explore new markets soon, the export of Bangladeshi apparel products might see a negative growth in the current fiscal year (FY), 2014-15.
BGMEA vice president Shahidul Azim said the Rana Plaza disaster and labour unrest had been taking a heavy toll on fresh export orders from new and old markets.
He said they were now under pressure to keep prices low due to loss of work orders from traditional and non-traditional markets.
