Order cancellation in RMG warns of tough times ahead

Bangladesh’s economy is bracing for a serious impact as the country’s lifeline—the RMG sector—is now facing threats from both the buyers' and suppliers’ ends, thanks to the global outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
Global buyers have so far cancelled or put on hold their orders of readymade garment products worth some USD 137.85 million from Bangladesh as many fashion brands have shut their stores in Europe and North America on account of the coronavirus outbreak.
Initially, after the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in China in January, it was assumed that Bangladesh would benefit, as most of the global brands were planning to shift their export orders from China to other RMG manufacturing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Cambodia. But as more than 160 countries are battling this pandemic now, that edge of getting more export orders in the RMG sector because of the coronavirus outbreak in China has been eroded, putting the economy of Bangladesh in a vulnerable position as RMG contributes around 84 per cent of its total export earnings.
According to the data of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), last Thursday 110 RMG factories informed the trade body that they received cancellation or shipment delay notices from the buyers for the export orders worth USD 137.85 million.
Against the backdrop of the growing cancellation or putting had to be given pneumonia treatment.  “But no hospital in Bangladesh will admit this patient, you treat him at home,” the doctor told him.  The son came back home that night and gave his father a nebuliser and an antibiotic.
On March 17, Iqbal took his father to the hospital at Shyamoli. They examined his father and said the patient would need ICU support. But they said they could not give their ICU for his father’s treatment. Next, Iqbal spoke to the Care Hospital and got him admitted to the ICU. After 15 minutes, the hospital authorities told him that they could not keep the patient.
The son went to another hospital in Kalyanpur. “They provided a cabin for my father as no bed was available at their ICU. Next, I contacted the Square Hospital for a bed in their ICU. But the Square Hospital management told us to go there with all papers, but not with the patient. They told me that his admission would be allowed only after seeing all the papers.”
Around 12.30 pm, the doctor at the hospital told the son that the patient needed a bed in ICU.  “I contacted several hospitals, but no bed was available at their ICUs,” said the son.
Finally, the harried son and his younger brother went to the Delta Hospital and got their father admitted to that hospital at 4am on March 19. The patient was put on life support system.
“The hospital authorities and I tried to contact IEDCR a number of times. But they failed to do so. On March 19, the IEDCR agreed to carry out the tests. The next day, they informed us that the report was positive,” Iqbal said.
“They told us to stay at home for 15-day quarantine,” he added.
Since the report was positive, the Delta Hospital created a lot of pressure on them to remove the life support. “But we continued to tell them not to remove the life support without our permission. But they didn’t even go to the patient and didn’t even let us enter the ICU. My father finally died around 3am on March 21,” Iqbal said.
“We failed to arrange for the proper treatment of my father. Nothing can be tragic than this. We’ve been staying at home for 15 days in compliance with the government’s directive,” he added.
The son has alleged that some media outlets are spreading canards that his brother-in-law has come from abroad and he was the carrier. “This is blatant falsehood. I’ve two brothers-in law. My elder sister and her husband are professors at two government colleges in Chattogram.”
“Another brother-in-law lives in Japan. But he didn’t come to Bangladesh over the past one year. My elder sister and one brother-in-law came to our home from Chittagong on March 19. They are still with us in home-quarantine,” he added.

 

 

Order cancellation in RMG warns of tough times ahead

Bangladeshs economy is bracing for a serious impact as the countrys lifelinethe RMG sectoris now facing threats from both the buyers and suppliers ends, thanks to the global outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. Global buyers have so far cancelled or put on hold their orders of readymade garment products worth some USD 137.85 million from Bangladesh as many fashion brands have shut their stores in Europe and North America on account of the coronavirus outbreak. Initially, after the COVID-19 outbreak occurred in China in January, it was assumed that Bangladesh would benefit, as most of the global brands were planning to shift their export orders from China to other RMG manufacturing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Cambodia. But as more than 160 countries are battling this pandemic now, that edge of getting more export orders in the RMG sector because of the coronavirus outbreak in China has been eroded, putting the economy of Bangladesh in a vulnerable position as RMG contributes around 84 per cent of its total export earnings. According to the data of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), last Thursday 110 RMG factories informed the trade body that they received cancellation or shipment delay notices from the buyers for the export orders worth USD 137.85 million. Against the backdrop of the growing cancellation or putting had to be given pneumonia treatment. But no hospital in Bangladesh will admit this patient, you treat him at home, the doctor told him. The son came back home that night and gave his father a nebuliser and an antibiotic. On March 17, Iqbal took his father to the hospital at Shyamoli. They examined his father and said the patient would need ICU support. But they said they could not give their ICU for his fathers treatment. Next, Iqbal spoke to the Care Hospital and got him admitted to the ICU. After 15 minutes, the hospital authorities told him that they could not keep the patient. The son went to another hospital in Kalyanpur. They provided a cabin for my father as no bed was available at their ICU. Next, I contacted the Square Hospital for a bed in their ICU. But the Square Hospital management told us to go there with all papers, but not with the patient. They told me that his admission would be allowed only after seeing all the papers. Around 12.30 pm, the doctor at the hospital told the son that the patient needed a bed in ICU. I contacted several hospitals, but no bed was available at their ICUs, said the son. Finally, the harried son and his younger brother went to the Delta Hospital and got their father admitted to that hospital at 4am on March 19. The patient was put on life support system. The hospital authorities and I tried to contact IEDCR a number of times. But they failed to do so. On March 19, the IEDCR agreed to carry out the tests. The next day, they informed us that the report was positive, Iqbal said. They told us to stay at home for 15-day quarantine, he added. Since the report was positive, the Delta Hospital created a lot of pressure on them to remove the life support. But we continued to tell them not to remove the life support without our permission. But they didnt even go to the patient and didnt even let us enter the ICU. My father finally died around 3am on March 21, Iqbal said. We failed to arrange for the proper treatment of my father. Nothing can be tragic than this. Weve been staying at home for 15 days in compliance with the governments directive, he added. The son has alleged that some media outlets are spreading canards that his brother-in-law has come from abroad and he was the carrier. This is blatant falsehood. Ive two brothers-in law. My elder sister and her husband are professors at two government colleges in Chattogram. Another brother-in-law lives in Japan. But he didnt come to Bangladesh over the past one year. My elder sister and one brother-in-law came to our home from Chittagong on March 19. They are still with us in home-quarantine, he added.