Is the Awami League right to be alarmed over Bangladesh's economic crisis?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Awami League highlights the crisis in the garment industry.
- Factories are closing, leading to massive job losses.
- Many workers are still waiting for unpaid wages.
- Political vendettas have exacerbated the economic situation.
- The future of young Bangladeshis is increasingly uncertain.
Dhaka, Oct 11 (NationPress) The Awami League of Bangladesh raised alarms regarding the alarming state of the country's once-thriving ready-made garment sector, which has now plunged numerous families into dire poverty. The pride of the nation has turned into a source of despair for many.
The ruling party noted the rapid closure of factories that previously sustained the economy, resulting in thousands of garment workers becoming jobless and struggling to make ends meet.
Criticizing the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for its lack of effective leadership, the Awami League claimed that instead of boosting economic confidence, his policies have led to economic stagnation.
“With factories shutting down and investors losing trust, the government appears either powerless or indifferent,” the party emphasized. They warned that Bangladesh is not only experiencing an economic downturn; it is facing a survival crisis where the distinction between the working class and the impoverished is fading.
Rather than focusing on economic revitalization, the Yunus administration has allegedly engaged in political vendettas against businesses linked to the Awami League, resulting in investigations, harassment, and forced closures.
“As a consequence, hundreds of factories have shut down, leading to massive job losses. What should have been a recovery phase has morphed into one of the most severe industrial downturns in years,” they stated.
The party pointed out that across Bangladesh, tens of thousands of ex-factory workers are still awaiting their unpaid wages, months after their workplaces closed. In areas such as Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar, workers congregate daily outside locked gates, clutching appointment letters that have lost all significance.
The Awami League underscored that these instances are not merely isolated cases; they epitomize the failures of Yunus’s economic policies.
“Many former employees have been forced into the informal economy, taking on jobs as day laborers, rickshaw pullers, or street vendors, earning barely enough to survive. For educated youth, the situation is even bleaker; degrees offer little value when job opportunities are scarce. Hope is quietly fading for Bangladesh’s younger generation,” the Awami League lamented.
“Under Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s most valuable asset, its hardworking populace, has been let down. The promise of prosperity has devolved into a nightmare of poverty, and the nation’s once-promising future now hangs by a slender thread,” they concluded.