RMG workers stream back to Dhaka, Gazipur in fear of losing job

Thousands of readymade garment workers are returning to Gazipur and Dhaka amid shutdown to join their factories, fearing that they may lose the job otherwise. 

Most of the workers went to their hometown after the factories were shut down at the beginning of the outbreak in the country.

With public transportations shut amid the shutdown, some of the workers are walking miles while others are paying an extra fare to rickshaw-vans and pickups. Workers were seen waiting for vehicles at different bus stands in Gazipur on Tuesday. 

Abul Kashem from Sirajganj's Kazipur upazila works at a factory in Dhaka. 

"Upon receiving confirmation from the owners that the factory will reopen, I started my journey to Dhaka at the dawn after having Sehri. I don't know when I will reach Dhaka. But I have to go in order to save my job," he said while talking to the correspondent Tuesday afternoon. 

Alamgir Hossain from Sirajganj, Suraiya and many others said the same thing. But some of them still don't know if the factory owners' got permission from the authorities to reopen the factories or not. 

Upon getting informed that the factories will reopen, RMG workers are streaming back to Dhaka and Gazipur defying lockdown. The photo was captured on Tuesday. Photo: TBS

Lal Miah from Fulpur upazila of Mymensingh works at the Odessa Fashions in Gazipur. He said he got a call from his office asking him to join. 

"I left my home at 6am to return to Gazipur," he said, adding that he did not see any bus on his way. 

When asked about the social distancing policy of the government, this factory worker said that it was not possible to maintain such distance if the factory reopened. 

"How long will you maintain distancing inside a factory?" he asked. 

Halima Akter from Sreebordi under Sreepur said, "If I can't join my factory today, the authorities will mark me absent during the entire holiday. That's why I'm returning to Gazipur with my husband and child."

Iqbal Hossain, assistant general manager (human resources) of Meghna Knit Composite, said that the factory authorities asked the workers to stay at their home during the general holiday. 

"But most of them returned to their home town because of a long holiday. They are returning now," he added. 

Iqbal Hossain also said that the factory authorities raised awareness among the workers and provided them with mask, sanitiser and other necessary things. 

Inspector of Gazipur Industrial Police Islam Hossain said, "If the factory authorities decide to reopen, we don't have any objections to that. We will help them to maintain social distancing and other rules and regulations."