Production in the garment sector has been disrupted in the industrial belts of Savar and Ashulia due to a shortage of fuel, severe load shedding, and rising costs.
Factories in the area are experiencing stagnation, with output falling by around 15 to 20 per cent.
AKH Group Deputy Managing Director Abul Kashem said daily production has dropped by an average of 10 per cent due to the fuel crisis, higher fuel prices, and frequent power outages.
He said the most pressing issue is the growing difficulty in transporting goods, as fuel shortages have severely disrupted logistics.
“Lower production is manageable, but failure to ship goods on time creates major problems,” he said.
He added that covered vans loaded in the morning are often dispatched only in the afternoon due to fuel shortages. In some cases, vehicles run out of fuel mid-journey and become stranded, delaying shipments.
As a result, foreign buyers are reducing their orders, he said.
He urged the government to take immediate steps to keep the garment sector operational, warning that both electricity and fuel shortages have put factories under severe strain.
On-site visits to factories in Savar municipality, including Al Muslim Group and JK Group, showed operations continuing with gas-fired generators due to the lack of electricity.
JK Group factory General Manager Mahbub Alam said production has declined due to the fuel shortage and rising costs.
He said daily output has fallen from 1,00,000–1,10,000 pieces to 80,000–90,000 pieces.
He added that shipment delays have worsened, as goods-laden covered vans are getting stranded on the way to Chattogram due to fuel shortages, preventing timely delivery to depots.
Many factory owners are now forced to send goods by air at their own expense, significantly increasing production costs, he said.
He also said running gas-powered generators during prolonged outages is further driving up costs, while foreign buyers are not increasing prices, leaving factory owners facing losses.
At Standard Group’s Stitches Limited factory in Karnapara, production was ongoing using its own generator due to power outages.
The factory’s Chief Production Planning Officer Jahangir Hossain said operations would become difficult if the situation continues for a few more days.
He said the factory employs around 1,500 workers and normally produces 15,000 to 20,000 pieces daily, but output has now dropped to about 10,000 pieces.
