As of now, 122 factories in the garment and textile sector have not paid their workers’ wages for February. Additionally, 723 garment factories have yet to provide Eid bonuses. Thirty factories still have outstanding wages from January or earlier. This information comes from the Industrial Police.

According to an industrial police report, a total of 2,890 garment factories are currently operational under the BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA, and BEPZA. By 10 AM on Thursday, 2,768 factories had paid February wages. Another 30 factories have outstanding wages from January or earlier. For March, 422 factories have paid their workers half of the salary in advance. Although the law stipulates that wages should be paid within the first seven working days of the following month, some factories have not adhered to this timeline. According to labor law, this provision must be followed.

As for Eid bonuses, 2,167 factories in the garment and textile sector have already disbursed them, but 723 factories have not, which accounts for nearly 25% of the total factories. In total, out of the 9,695 factories across various industries, including jute mills, 6,673 have paid Eid bonuses, with 1,835 factories paying March wages. However, 7,860 factories still owe March wages, which accounts for nearly 81.7% of the total.

Due to the failure to pay wages and bonuses within the prescribed time, the government has imposed travel bans on the owners of 12 factories. These owners are not allowed to travel abroad until they settle the outstanding wages and bonuses of their workers.

Regarding the travel ban, on Tuesday, Labor and Employment Advisor Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain stated at a press conference at the Secretariat that wages and bonuses for garment workers should have been paid by March 27. However, 12 factories have failed to meet this deadline. Among these, there is unrest in five factories. He added that those failing to comply with the deadline will face restrictions on international travel and that the government will take the strictest action in accordance with labor laws.