Only about 25 per cent or 525 garment factories registered with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) paid festival allowances until Thursday, a day before the deadline the government has set to pay Eid-ul-Fitr bonus, according to industry sources.
Earlier on March 12, the interim government at a Tripartite Consultative Committee meeting asked factory owners in all industries to pay festival allowances by the 20th Ramadan.
It also instructed factory owners to discuss with their respective workers and decide whether March wages would be paid partially (15 days) or in full based on the manufacturers' capacity.
According to data, out of the 2,107 BGMEA-listed factories, some 64 are yet to pay February wages, while three have not cleared even January payments.
On the other hand, 75 per cent or 1,582 BGMEA member units did not pay festival allowances until Thursday.
According to Industrial Police data, some 74.45 per cent or 7,218 factories, including garment and non-garment units, out of the total of 9,695 units under its jurisdiction paid February wages until Thursday.
The remaining 25.55 per cent or 2,477 readymade garment (RMG) and non-RMG units are yet to pay February wages.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies have identified some 200 garment factories in various industrial zones that are at risk of facing labour unrest as they may fail to pay wages and festival allowances before Eid.
Of these factories, data shows 128 are members of BGMEA, 16 are affiliated with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and four are listed with the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).
Some nine units are under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), while the rest are not listed with any organisation.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com
© 2025 - All Rights with The Financial Express
