Garment exporters have urged the authorities to swiftly release around Tk5,700 crore in pending cash incentives and introduce low-interest loans equivalent to two months’ wages to ensure timely payment of salaries and bonuses to workers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
They also called for reinstating packing credit at a reduced interest rate of 7 per cent and expanding the pre-shipment credit scheme fund from Tk5,000 crore to Tk10,000 crore, with its tenure extended until 2030, to ease liquidity pressure on factories and maintain stability in industrial zones.
The demands were placed on Tuesday when leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) met Ahsan H Mansur, governor of Bangladesh Bank, at the central bank headquarters in Dhaka.
BGMEA Senior Vice-President Enamul Haque Khan and Vice-President Md Shihab Uddoja Chowdhury attended the meeting.
During the discussion, BGMEA leaders said the readymade garment sector is passing through a deep crisis amid falling global demand and prices, an abnormal rise in production costs, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.
They noted that due to the national parliamentary election and observance of Language Martyrs’ Day, effective working days in February dropped to 19 out of 28 days, disrupting regular shipments and intensifying the liquidity crunch for factories.
In such circumstances, ensuring timely payment of wages and festival bonuses before Eid has become a major challenge for entrepreneurs, they said, adding that clearing workers’ dues is critical to maintaining stability in industrial belts and overall economic discipline.
As part of their proposals, the BGMEA leaders sought immediate disbursement of the pending Tk 5,700 crore in cash incentives for the textile and apparel sector in fiscal 2025–26.
They said many applications remain stuck due to procedural complexities involving lien banks and central bank audits, and quick settlement would significantly ease liquidity constraints.
They also urged priority release of incentives for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), based on a list submitted by BGMEA.
To support factories in paying wages and bonuses before Eid, the association proposed a special loan facility equivalent to two months’ wages, with a three-month grace period and a 12-month repayment tenure.
Responding to the requests, Governor Ahsan H Mansur assured the BGMEA leaders of necessary policy support to help the sector navigate the crisis.
He said the central bank would take positive steps to prioritise the release of cash incentives, particularly for SMEs, and to address liquidity shortages so that workers’ dues can be paid before Eid.
