DHAKA - As Bangladesh announces the extension of the shutdown of its garment factories until April 25, manufacturers say the coronavirus pandemic has now cost the country's industry more than US$10 billion.
The lockdown extension was announced in a joint statement by Rubana Huq, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and Salim Osman, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).
Huq later put the cost so far to the industry at US$10 billion, and told journalists the country was facing a "different reality" to western countries where governments were providing bailout packages.