Labour and Employment Ministry Adviser Sakhawat Hossain has clarified that the garment factories currently appearing closed had already ceased operations before August 5. He said, “These factories were not shut down recently. Their owners took loans from banks but neither paid their workers nor kept the factories running. Due to defaults, banks have now stopped financing them.”

He further alleged that many owners have left the country with significant amounts of money. “Not all major factories are closed. If they were, our export volume wouldn’t still be at 17%, and Chattogram Port wouldn’t be struggling to manage the surge in orders,” he added.

He concluded by saying the government might consider offering bank loan facilities if these closed factories are reopened or bought by new investors—but cautioned that such processes would take time.