According to the BD News reporting from a meeting held by the BGMEA with global RMG buyers in Uttara, Bangladesh, BGMEA president SM Mannan Kochi said retailers and brands assured the organisation they would not seek any discount, demand air shipment or cancel work orders following the latest spell of disruption.
Violence broke out across the country over the last month in response to student unrest which shut down most of the country, including internet services.
The reintroduction of the employment quota scheme in June, which had been stalled since 2018, was reported as the primary reason for the unrest as it “deeply” upset graduates struggling to get jobs.
The BBC claims at least 150 people were killed during the protests and local news reports suggest “several thousand” have been wounded in clashes with law enforcers.
On 24 July, all government factories across the country were reported to have resumed operations.
Kochi reportedly said brands were told about the government's plans to control the situation. It reaffirmed the BGMEA's and the government's highest possible support to reduce the impact of such events.
Apparel brands were said to have expressed concerns about the timely shipment of goods from Bangladesh and the urgent restoration of internet services for faster communication with suppliers.
The BGMEA did not return request for comment when approached by Just Style.
MA Jabbar, managing director of DBL Group, one of the largest readymade garment manufacturers in Bangladesh, said at the time: "Our buyers’ confidence, our country’s image, and of course our productivity has been impacted. Even prior to this, we have been suffering due to gas and energy crisis. Now, due to the internet blackout, our shipments are failing."
