The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Chittagong

Speakers at a dialogue here today laid emphasis on proper healthcare of the garments workers with special focus on their reproductive rights side by side with compliance factors to ensure steady growth of the country's Readymade Garments (RMG) sector.

They said both private and public sectors as well as the conscientious section of the people as part of their corporate social responsibility should contribute in ensuring greater welfare of these workers as their sound health is a prerequisite for continuing the present trend of productivity in this sector to achieve further growth.

Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Chittagong chapter, and the UNFPA, Bangladesh, jointly organised the dialogue on "Reproductive Rights: Health and Gender Situation of Garments Workers" at a local hotel.

Academics, physicians, journalists, trade union leaders and garments workers took part in the discussion apart from the BGMEA leaders. Chairman of the BGMEA standing committee on health and family planning Emdadul Haq Chowdhury presided over the dialogue.

Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Hossain Jamil addressed the function as the chief guest while BGMEA First Vice President M A Salam moderated it.

Assistant Country Representative of UNFPA Md. Nurul Ameen presented a keynote paper highlighting the reproductive health and gender situation of the country's garments workers.

BGMEA central leader Sharfuddin Ahmed Sharif, former First Vice-President Mahbub Ali, Professor Nitish Kundu and Professor Ashraf Ali of Chittagong University, Chairman of the Centre for Good Governance Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam, trade union leaders Safar Ali and A M Nazimuddin, Professor Anjuman Ara Begum, journalist Nasirul Haq and NGO activist Mahfuzul Haq Chowdhury, among others, participated in the discussion. Hossain Jamil stressed the need for utmost attention to the healthcare issues of the garment workers in the greater interest of the RMG sector.

"There must be combined efforts to maintain a conducive working atmosphere in the garment sector," he said. Amin said lifestyle factors like living in slums, drinking impure water and inadequate food intake compounded by the occupational factors like long working hours, minimal leave, poor workplace amenities as well as exposure to chemicals, hot and noisy environment are seriously affecting the health of female RMG workers, 74 percent of whom are rural migrants.

"The reproductive health issues of RMG workers should be addressed with due importance not only for their interests, but for the benefit of owners as this will help raise the companies' reputation, consumers' confidence and productivity with profit," he said.