The economic crisis in Bangladesh is having a negative impact on the country's most important export sector, the garment industry. The country is the world's second largest manufacturer of clothing after China.

Dhaka

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

The economic crisis in Bangladesh is severely affecting the nation's garment industry, a crucial component of its economy. As the world's second-largest clothing manufacturer, trailing only China, the negative impacts on this sector are particularly concerning. The garment sector, known for being the country's most significant export area, is facing challenges amid the broader economic downturn.



Economic crisis hampers garment sector in Bangladesh

Rokia Begum is a garment worker in Bangladesh, but she has lost her job. Her final pay was withheld for three months after the economic recession caused the shutdown of the factory where she worked. The situation is still very difficult for the mother of three. I haven't been able to pay the rent for the last three months. Prices of everyday essentials are very high, we can't keep the family fed. It's Ramadan and the Eid festival is ahead. I'm not able to buy my children new clothes for Eid as I have no job. Because many garment factories have closed in the last couple of months, Begum has been unable to find another job despite many attempts. There are thousands of workers like her who have just been made redundant. And not shortly after being promised a wage increase. Despite the salary increase, many workers didn't get their full wage. On the other hand, due to the salary increase, they closed many smaller clothes factories. Many workers are still owed three or four months of pay. But they've closed the factories. So how are we supposed to help these unemployed people? More than 300 garment factories are reportedly now closed in the port city of Chattogram, in the capital of Dhaka and other cities. One reason is the deep dollar crisis Bangladesh is facing. Price increases for gas and electricity have made production more expensive. The decline in orders from Western markets has pushed Bangladesh's most important export industry into a crisis. There are so many factories closing down, but mostly those are small and medium. In this perspective, we really need to take care of this issue so that those factories also need to survive. Then there will be a balance of orders and industry as well. Otherwise what is happening, the big factories will be getting bigger day by day. The capacity is increasing, but that is also not good for the industry. Bangladesh will also have to begin paying off multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment loans from various international sources. This is likely to exacerbate the crisis facing the South Asian nation of nearly 170 million people.

From suspensions to expulsions to criminal charges, college students across the U.S. involved in these pro-Palestinian protests could face life-changing consequences. Some are demanding amnesty for these protesters.

New York

More than 1,000 student protesters arrested across U.S.

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London

Voters head to polls in last test for U.K.'s Sunak

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Zaporizhzhia

U.S. accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine

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Council of the City of Sydney

Grave fears for brothers missing on Mexico surf trip

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Bogotá

Israel-Gaza War

Colombia ends diplomatic relations with Israel

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Jerusalem

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Tbilisi

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The Hague

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Police enter Columbia University, arrest protesters

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Hainault

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Canberra

Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

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Buenos Aires

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Odesa

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

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Edinburgh

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf quits

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Lake Macquarie

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Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian protesters

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Kharkiv

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Madrid

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Riyadh

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Turin

Climate Crisis

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Beirut

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At least four people are dead, including an infant, after a series of tornadoes swept across Oklahoma. The weather system is threatening the region with more twisters, heavy rain and large hail in a band stretching from Missouri to Texas.

Sulphur

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Pescara

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Oklahoma

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Ukraine Invasion