Mass vaccination activities have started among garment workers in Chittagong. On Tuesday, workers are getting vaccinated through special programs in 10 organizations under BGMEA, where they are getting vaccinated easily without any registration.
Garment owners claim that at least 13,000 workers will be vaccinated on the first day. All workers will be vaccinated in phases. In this way, the workers will be able to get vaccinated easily without registration in the factory.
Read more: 17 Bangladeshi held while illegally returning from India
Chattogram Divisional Health Director Dr Hasan Shahriar Kabir inaugurated the vaccination programme at Nasirabad Uni Garments Limited on Tuesday afternoon. BGMEA First Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam presided over the function. Special guests on the occasion were District Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Elias Chowdhury, Industrial Police-3 Superintendent of Police Mohammad Solaiman, Mill Factory Department DIG Abdullah Al Shakib. The Business leaders said that in order to continue the production activities of the export oriented garment sector and to provide health protection to those associated with it, 100 per cent workers should be brought under vaccination. However, they thanked the government as well as the health department for starting the vaccination program easily. The workers were overjoyed to be vaccinated comfortably while sitting in the factory.
They said, “It is a pleasure for us to go to the vaccination center on leave from the factory and get vaccinated easily by avoiding the hassle of registration.”
According to BGMEA data, there are 698 garment industries in Chittagong. Of these, 389 establishments are closed while the remaining 309 establishments employ about 7 lakh workers. Of these, 4 lakh workers are working inside the EPZ and 3 lakh workers are working outside. Many of these workers have already registered and come under the ticker. However, this program is for those workers who have not registered or do not have any document to register.
