More than 94 per cent of garment factories in Dhaka and Chattogram have paid Eid bonuses to workers ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
In a statement issued on Monday, BGMEA said 2,021 out of 2,133 operational garment factories had paid Eid bonuses as of 25 May, accounting for 94.70 per cent of the total operational units.
Among the factories that paid bonuses, 1,709 are located in Dhaka, while 312 are in Chattogram, the association said.
BGMEA also reported that 2,117 factories, or 99.20 per cent of the operational units, had paid workers’ salaries for the month of April. Of those factories, 1,783 are based in Dhaka and 334 in Chattogram.
The association further said that 767 factories, representing 35.94 per cent of the total, have already paid advance salaries for the month of May ahead of the Eid holidays.
According to BGMEA data, workers from 108 garment factories left Dhaka on 24 May to celebrate Eid with their families in their home districts.
The organisation said employees from 664 factories are scheduled to leave the capital on 25 May, while workers from another 771 factories are expected to depart on 26 May. In addition, workers from 251 factories are set to leave Dhaka on 27 May ahead of the Eid vacation.
The garment sector remains one of the country’s largest export-earning industries, employing millions of workers across Bangladesh.
