CED-BRAC University has organize a Webinar titled “Covid-19 Experience: Workers’ Perspective” as a part of its ongoing Rapid Survey on the RMG industry in Bangladesh under the RMG factory mapping Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB).
BRAC University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) and James P. Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH), in association with the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies at the University of California, Berkeley; recently conducted a Rapid Survey titled “The Impacts of Covid-19 on the Lives of Workers in the Garment Industry”.
The Webinar was organized on 30 September 2020 to disseminate the findings and policy implications of the Rapid Survey among the sector stakeholders.
Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, has graced the webinar as the Chief Guest.
Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud, Economist and Former Advisor, Caretaker Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Dr. Rubana Huq, President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) were present as the Special Guests.
Dr. Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, Executive Director, Institute for South Asia Studies, and Director, Subir and Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies, University of California at Berkeley and Dr. Atonu Rabbani, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka & Associate Scientist, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Brac University presented the keynote presentation on the Rapid Survey.
As a representative from RMG workers, Ms. Taslima Akhter, Activist and Coordinator, Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity, was present as an Expert Commentator.
The webinar was presided over by Professor Dr. Rahim B. Talukdar, Team Leader, MiB and Adviser, CED-Brac University. Syed Hasibuddin Hussain, Project Manager, MiB, CED-Brac University moderated the webinar.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the world’s economy and supply chains, and the RMG sector of Bangladesh has also been adversely impacted by the pandemic. The RMG sector, which has been one of the major drivers of the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh in the last 40 years, has been hard hit especially it is the garment workers who have been affected most due to this adverse situation.
This rapid survey was conducted on the garment workers in order to understand how they have been impacted during the pandemic. Since the effects of this pandemic are unfolding rapidly, it is imperative to understand the extent of workers’ hardship and the impact of the pandemic on their livelihoods.
The survey was conducted between June 30 and July 13, 2020 and a total of 1,057 garment workers participated at the survey through phone calls. The study focuses on workers from the RMG sector who are particularly vulnerable to even a transitory shock to the sector.