Coronavirus could leave 1cr unemployed in Narayanganj: BKMEA president

FT ONLINE 

Around 1 crore people will become unemployed in Narayanganj alone if coronavirus spreads across the country, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Salim Osman said on Tuesday.

"All kinds of institutions have shut down in many countries. Some nations have even imposed curfews. If this happens in our country as well, 1 crore people will become unemployed in Narayanganj alone," he said.

Salim, also a member of the parliament for the Narayanganj-5 constituency, said this at a tree-planting ceremony held at the Narayanganj College in celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He added if Bangladesh were to go through the same experience as the world because of this recent coronavirus epidemic, the garment industry of the country would collapse.

If the international market shuts down, unemployment rates would rise at an alarming rate, Salim further said.