Bangladesh government has asked the industry owners to pay salary and wages to the workers for the month of March latest by April 16. State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sufiyan said on Monday that if the owners failed to pay the salaries, legal action will be initiated against them.

According to the apex organization of the Ready Made Garment (RMG) manufacturers Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), approximately 40 percent of the total 2274 factories have paid wages and salaries to their workers till now.

BGMEA President Rubana Haq expressed the hope that the majority of the RMG factories will be able to pay the workers within the timeline set by the government.

In the meanwhile, workers of some RMG factories near Dhaka blocked road demanding payment of salaries on Monday. On Sunday also, some RMG workers had demonstrated in Gazipur, Narayanganj and

Chattogram demanding payment of salaries and wages. RMG factories in Bangladesh have been closed till April 25 in view of the Corona pandemic.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced a special subsidized loan package of Tk 5000 crore exclusively for payment of wages and salaries of workers in the RMG sector.

RMG is the largest sector of Bangladesh economy contributing close to 84 percent of its total export earnings and employing more than 4 million people. Reportedly orders worth dollar 2.68 billion for the RMG sector have either been cancelled or halted since the Corona crisis hit the world.