With Coronavirus cases increasing again in Europe, it will have a massive impact on the Bangladeshi readymade garment sector, given that it is the largest destination for clothes manufactured in Bangladesh. Bangladesh sends over 50 per cent of its exportable goods to the European Union markets.

Europe has once again become the epicenter of the pandemic, with many European Union nations recording the highest Covid cases in recent days. Bangladesh is concerned about the current spread of Coronavirus in major EU markets. The readymade garment sector had started getting orders and had been on track after overcoming the pandemic last year. The entire workforce was a victim of Covid during the lockdown. Workers lost wages during from March to May of 2020 alone, mainly because there were not enough orders to keep factories afloat. Some 82 per cent of workers’ income declined. By June 2020, export orders had fallen by 40 to 45 per cent compared to 2019. Workers also faced critical challenges to their mental health and overall emotional well-being, being worried about both the pandemic and their financial futures — providing for their families, feeding them, and caring for their children.