Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has decided to keep all garment factories open like regular times.

Though around 120 garment factories in Ashulia’s Bypail areas had remained closed on Thursday, BGMEA decided to keep factories open like normal time, said Shovon Islam, Director of BGMEA, after a meeting on the latest situation of the industry on Thursday evening.

BGMEA expressed gratitude to the Army, police, and residents of Ashulia, Bypail, Abdullapur, Tongi, and Gazipur for their support in ensuring that both factory owners and workers could continue their activities without major disruptions.

Another BGMEA director, speaking to UNB on condition of anonymity, revealed that external agitators attempted to sabotage several RMG factories in the Ashulia area on Thursday. These disturbances forced the shutdown of approximately 120 factories that had initially opened in the morning, he explained.

The director further alleged that a workers’ group associated with former minister Shajahan Khan was behind the unrest, making unreasonable demands and inciting disturbances in the factories.

Following the arrest of several young workers linked to this group, the detainees reportedly confessed to police that they were being paid and provoked by certain individuals to carry out attacks on the factories.

According to sources, garment factories in Gazipur and other areas, aside from Ashulia, remained open and operated as usual.