Bangladesh has been gripped by a deepening multi-sector crisis since August 2024, with political instability, mounting economic pressures, industrial job losses, public health emergencies, rising poverty, and climate-related disasters reinforcing one another, the Awami League has alleged. The party, citing data from multiple sources, contends that the deteriorating conditions have produced a significant humanitarian emergency, with children, women, workers, and low-income communities bearing the heaviest burden.

Political Arrests and Civil Liberties

According to the Awami League, political arrests and detentions have emerged as a serious concern in Dhaka, where more than 5,079 people were reportedly arrested in connection with 707 cases. At the national level, opposition groups have claimed that more than 400,000 people have been arrested overall, with approximately 30,000 reportedly in custody as of November 2025. The party also flagged that approximately 33 million children have experienced disruptions to their education due to political instability and climate-related events.

Industrial Collapse and Job Losses

The industrial sector has been severely affected, according to the Awami League's account. More than 500 large export-oriented factories, including garment units, have reportedly shut down, with over 300 closures recorded by October 2024 alone. Garment export earnings reportedly fell by around 12 per cent, declining from approximately USD 42 billion to USD 37 billion. An estimated 1.5 million workers have lost their jobs in this period.

Notable among the affected entities is the Beximco Group, which reportedly laid off approximately 40,000 workers. The leather sector saw 80 factory closures, while more than 100 factories or production units in Dhaka's ceramics industry have either closed or become inactive, the party stated.

Disproportionate Impact on Women Workers

The Awami League highlighted a stark gender dimension to the industrial crisis. Women account for approximately 80 per cent of the garment sector's workforce, yet available data suggests they may represent around 90 per cent of total job losses in the sector. The party said this has placed additional pressure on both women's employment prospects and the economic security of households across the country.

Public Health Crisis and Measles Outbreak

The measles outbreak has been identified by the Awami League as a particularly serious public health concern, reportedly spreading across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, while routine immunisation coverage has declined by approximately 4–5 percentage points annually. Local media reported on Tuesday that six more children died from the measles outbreak, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 979 this year, underscoring the escalating scale of the health emergency.

Climate Disasters and Weakening Local Governance

Climate-related disasters have compounded the crisis further, the party noted, with the weakening of local government structures undermining basic disaster-prevention and preparedness mechanisms. This comes amid a broader collapse in institutional capacity that critics argue has left vulnerable communities with diminishing safety nets.

The Awami League concluded that the escalating pressures across all these sectors are placing multidimensional strain on Bangladesh's social and economic stability, with the impact falling most heavily on children, women, workers, and low-income households. How the current administration responds to these compounding crises is expected to define Bangladesh's political and economic trajectory in the months ahead.