Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Bangladesh garment industry loses £306.5M amid post-revolution unrest, calls for stability

The country’s 3,500 garment factories account for around 85 per cent of its $55 billion (£42.1bn) in annual exports

Bangladesh garment industry loses £306.5M amid post-revolution unrest, calls for stability
Bangladesh is the world’s second-biggest exporter of clothing by value after China

BANGLADESH’S vital garment industry lost $400 million () due to unrest following the student-led revolution that ousted the country’s autocratic premier, industry leaders said last Sunday (20), insisting the situation was now “stable”.

The country’s 3,500 garment factories account for around 85 per cent of its $55 billion (£42.1bn) in annual exports, but the unrest caused disruptions to the linchpin industry.


After months of deadly protests, former leader Sheikh Hasina fled by helicopter to India on August 5. An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus took over, but protests in a string of garment factories continued for jobs and better pay.

Such demonstrations sometimes spiralled into violence. On September 30, a garment worker was killed and 20 were injured in clashes between protesters and the police.

Kalpana Akhtar, president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said last Sunday that there had to be “a drastic change in the attitude” of factory owners and the government. “The discussion about pay raises only takes place when the workers take to the streets”, Akhtar said.

Changes were needed “to ensure stability in this sector”, she added, warning that “otherwise, the calm situation might not last.”

Bangladesh is the world’s second-biggest exporter of clothing by value after China and supplies many of the world’s top brands, including Levi’s, Zara and H&M.

Khandaker Rafiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the “industry is stable now after going through a challenging period”.

Islam estimated losses since August to total around $400 million, and said security forces needed to continue protecting the industry.

“The army formed a task force to protect the factories, and they are conducting regular patrols to ensure security at the garment hubs”, Islam said , noting it is crucial for stability.

“The buyers have regained their trust in Bangladeshi apparel, but uninterrupted law and order is essential to maintain stability”.

More For You

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less