72 Factories Closed in Gazipur Over One Year, Leaving Hundreds of Thousands Jobless

Between 5 August last year and 29 July this year, 72 factories in Gazipur have been shut down by their respective managements. Among these, 29 factories ceased operations within just six months, resulting in millions of workers losing their jobs and facing unemployment.

Impact on Workers and Factories

• Season Dresses Factory:
  • Employed 1,260 workers and staff.
  • Exported garments worth $33.7 million in 2022.
  • Faced decline starting 2023 due to Ukraine-Russia conflict, with near-zero work from October 2023 to March 2024.
  • Attempts were made to sustain operations through subcontracting without layoffs, but financial troubles soon followed.
  • From April 2024, despite receiving multiple work orders, bank cooperation faltered. Loan instalments were deducted at double the agreed 8%, worsening financial strain.
  • The factory struggled to pay wages, gas, and electricity bills, leading to labour unrest. A foreign buyer cancelled a $4 crore order due to worker protests.
  • Management sold fabric and machinery to pay workers, but faced lawsuits over a 7 crore taka loan default.
  • Finally, the factory closed in July 2025, leaving many workers jobless.

Statement from Bahaudddin Chowdhury Baker, Managing Director of Season Dresses Ltd:

“We were once successful. Had the banks cooperated as before, there would have been no worker unrest, no cancelled orders, and no closure. Due to the banks’ uncooperative stance, we were forced to permanently close the factory after 28 years of hard work.”

Broader Factory Closures in Gazipur

• Gazipur saw the closure of 43 factories in January alone, with another 29 shutting down in the following six months.
• Closures mostly attributed to lack of work, cancelled orders, and severe financial crises.

Human Stories from the Closure

• RKM Apparels, Gazipur City:
  • Closed in early July, 260 workers lost jobs.
  • Shefali Begum, a 48-year-old operator from Rangpur, struggles to support her sick husband and three school-going children. She is now desperately seeking any work, including odd jobs like house cleaning, after being rejected by several factories.
• Standard Ceramic Foreman, Sirajganj:
  • Askar Hossain, unemployed for six months, now drives a rented e-bike for survival.
  • Despite income, his earnings barely cover household expenses.
• Beximco Group:
  • Closed 13 export-oriented garment factories in February due to financial difficulties.
  • 28,513 workers rendered jobless.
  • Workers protested with road blockades demanding factory reopening.
  • Bilal Hossain, a former employee of 15 years, said:

“We lived comfortably when the factory was open. Now I’m struggling and plan to return to my village after months of unsuccessful job hunting.”

• Local resident Foyez Ahmed noted:

“90% of local income was from rent paid by Beximco workers. The shutdown has left markets, shops, and schools deserted, with thousands of rented homes standing empty.”

Expert Insights

• Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, Central Organising Secretary of National Garment Workers Federation Bangladesh, stated:
  • Very few displaced workers found jobs in other factories due to reduced work orders and continuous layoffs.
  • Many have switched careers to driving auto-rickshaws, small businesses, tailoring, or returned to their villages.
  • Women garment workers either moved to other factories or alternative livelihoods in Gazipur.
  • Gazipur’s worker communities are suffering greatly due to these closures.
• Md. Robiul Islam Bandhan, Assistant Inspector General of Factory and Establishment Inspection Department, Gazipur, reported:
  • Factories face numerous challenges and the department is actively working to identify causes of closure and ways to reopen factories.
• Al Mamun Sikder, Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, added:
  • Ownership changes, unresolved bank loan rescheduling, and lack of work are key reasons behind closures.
  • Financial crisis is the primary cause for most shutdowns.

Summary Table of Factory Closures and Impact

The widespread closure of factories in Gazipur has plunged tens of thousands into unemployment and uncertainty. Despite attempts by authorities to investigate and reverse the trend, financial and structural challenges continue to devastate the region’s industrial sector and the livelihoods dependent upon it.