The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Sunday backtracked on a previous statement that around 40 percent entrepreneurs would fail to pay salaries and bonuses to workers before Eid due to slump in businesses.

The apex body, just days ago, demanded that the government give the sector an incentive package of Tk 30 billion (3,000 crore) by Sep 7 to salvage the sector and help clear up the workers' wages and allowances. It cited poor business due to global financial downturn even though the readymade garment sector saw around 15 percent growth in exports last year.

But the demand, which came at a press conference on Thursday from its top leaders, drew a string of criticism from trade unions, the government and even other trade bodies. Garments workers also took to streets to protest such a statement and demanded payment immediately. The government immediately rejected the demand, and finance minister AMA Muhith said on Sunday that there was no reason that the apparel sector should be unable to pay salaries and festival bonuses.

BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque also criticised the BGMEA's demand, saying it was not "right". Sunday's statement by the BGMEA apparently came as an effort to allay the criticisms from various quarters, as it mentioned that "misunderstandings" stemming from Thursday's press conference needed to be cleared. "There have been some misunderstandings over the issue discussed in last week's press conference. The BGMEA thinks it's essential to remove those misunderstandings for the sake of the country's garment industry," the BGMEA said in the statement.

The BGMEA further said: "The garment factory owners are being attentive to the salaries and bonuses of the workers despite the ongoing global recession. So there's no scope of misunderstanding." To garment workers, the trade body said, "You are the main force and an inseparable part of the industry." "We believe all problems can be resolved through a sympathetic relationship between workers and owners."

-bdnews