Bangladesh garment exports fall sharply
Daily Times, Pakista
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s garment exports fell sharply in the first two months of its financial year, official figures showed Tuesday, amid continued fallout from political turmoil and past labour unrest.
Bangladesh exported garments worth 1.55 billion dollars in July and August, 14.3 percent less than the same period a year ago, the government’s Export Promotion Bureau said.
Garments accounted for three quarters of Bangladesh’s $12.18 billion of exports in the year ended June. The country’s more than 4,000 garment makers employ around 40 percent of the industrial workforce. But the sector has yet to recover from labour unrest in the summer of 2014 over low wages and poor working conditions. It was also hit by months of violent street protests and nationwide strikes over vote-rigging allegations late the same year.
The violence, which continued until an emergency government took over in January, claimed at least 35 lives with major businesses, factories and ports forced to close for weeks, hitting buyer confidence, an industry official said. afp
