Bangladesh Port Strike Deals Another Blow to Global Fashion Supply Chain

The two-day stoppage at the country’s ports, which according to employers’ data has a daily effect of €200 million, has been called in protest against the reform of Bangladesh’s national customs agency.

The stoppage paralyzed the movement of containers throughout the weekend, at a daily cost of approximately 200 million euros.

Modaes

1 jul 2025 - 07:32

More pressure on the fashion supply. Workers at the country’s main ports staged a two-day nationwide strike last week, once again jeopardizing fashion exports abroad. A year after the outbreak of the riots that brought down the government of the day, Bangladesh is once again at the center of the crisis in the fashion value chain.

The stoppage paralyzed the movement of containers throughout the weekend, until the Executive, which on an interim basis is led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, urged the workers to return to work to preserve the interests of Bangladesh. The document distributed by the government, to which Reuters has had access, added that, otherwise, the government could “be forced to take strict measures to protect the population and the national economy”.

The first protests began a month ago, after the Executive issued an order to dissolve the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the country’s tax authority, which manages, among other things, taxes and duties on goods passing through Bengali ports. According to the Yunus government, the decision is a response to the need to modernize the organization chart, reduce overlaps and improve efficiency.

Bangladesh could lose 200 million euros in exports per day

Although the administration has announced that up to two new agencies will be formed in place of the NBR, leaving jobs out of jeopardy, many of the employees have shown their distrust towards this change.

The textile industry, which accounts for up to 10% of gross domestic product (GDP), is one of the most important industries in the country, with around four million workers. Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest textile exporters, accounting for up to 8.6% of trade in ready-made products alone.

According to data shared by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Bgmea), one of the country’s main employers’ associations, given the weight of the textile industry in the country, new strike days could have a daily impact of €200 million. The effect, they warned, could be even greater, given that the factories are currently at the peak of production for the autumn-winter season.