Closure of Pacific Jeans factories may hurt overall denim exports
Pacific Jeans shuts eight factories after unrest
Worker protests escalate, violence halts production
Over 35,000 employees affected by closures
Export disruption looms for Bangladesh denim
The export of denim products from Bangladesh is expected to face significant disruption as the country's largest denim manufacturer, Pacific Jeans Group, has indefinitely shut down all eight of its factories in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) following days of violent worker protests.
The closures, effective from October 16, were triggered by unrest that began on October 14, when a group of workers allegedly stopped work, disrupted electrical systems, and coerced colleagues into joining the protests, according to a statement issued by the company and signed by Managing Director Syed M Tanvir on Thursday.
On a regular working day, the company, employing more than 35,000 workers, produces over one lakh pieces of denim trousers, said industry insiders.
Tanvir said they would reopen the factories as soon as the problem is resolved in consultation with different stakeholders.
The reopening date will be announced once a conducive environment is restored, he added.
The situation escalated over three days, with clashes between protesting and non-protesting workers leading to vandalism and physical assaults on officials and employees. Notices issued by the management cited an unsafe working environment and the impossibility of continuing operations under such conditions.
Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the unrest was partly linked to earlier legal action.
According to him, six to seven months ago, a case was filed against seven workers for their alleged involvement in unrest inside the EPZ. Police recently traced these individuals to their residences. Following this, a section of workers began agitating, halting work, and vandalising factories. For safety reasons, the management had to shut down operations.
Abdus Sobhan, executive director of the CEPZ, confirmed the account, noting that police had identified the workers through CCTV footage and national ID records.
The unrest reportedly began over relatively minor issues related to worker transfers during factory renovation plans but escalated rapidly, with workers allegedly compelling others to join walkouts and attacking other units. Despite management directives to resume duties, workers continued their protest on October 15 and 16.
The shut-down factories are: Pacific Jeans Ltd, Pacific Jeans Ltd-2, Jeans 2000, Universal Jeans, NHT Fashions, Pacific Accessories, Pacific Workwear, and Pacific Attires.
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