The 40,000 laid-off workers and officials of the 16 textile and garment units of Beximco Group want the factories to remain operational so that they can be reinstated.

The government is preparing to sell these units, as the group is bogged down by a huge amount of default loans. On top of this, uncertainty remains over whether the workers will receive their service benefits.

The group's management body went ahead with the layoffs, citing low inflow of work orders from international clothing retailers and brands, after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 last year.

The conglomerate subsequently landed in hot water. Its vice-chairman, Salman F Rahman, who is now behind bars, was an influential adviser to the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman is accused of weaponising his political influence for personal business gain. After the fall of the Awami League, a series of financial irregularities involving Rahman and his business empire came to light.

Recent Bangladesh Bank data showed that Beximco Group owed nearly Tk 50,000 crore in bank loans as of November 2024, with more than half of the amount becoming non-performing.

However, the management is eager to keep the factories operational.

They have been lobbying the government to sell a piece of the group's land in Narayanganj for approximately Tk 800 crore to restructure the bank loans, said a senior officer of the group.

However, top government officials are not approving the sale, said the officer, asking not to be named.

"These are not loss-making units, as almost all the internationally reputed clothing retailers and brands are their regular customers," said Shefat Ahmed, a merchandiser in the group's garment division.

Beximco used to export $30 million worth of textile and garment items in a month prior to August 5 last year.

The merchandiser also said Beximco has been doing business with many reputed clothing retailers and brands for many years, and they are still interested in continuing the business.

"So, it is not true that the group's textile and garment factories lack work orders," he added.

The group's clients include all Inditex brands, such as Bershka, Zara-TRF, Zara-Women, Zara-Men, Pull & Bear-Men, Pull & Bear-Women, Lefties-Ladies, Lefties-Kids, and Lefties-Men.

The list also includes C&A, PVH, Marks & Spencer, Michael Kors, Bestseller, Lands' End, Target, American Eagle, Scotch & Soda, Hansae, Primark, Dub, Celio, SSTS (TOP TEN) Total, TJ Maxx, LPP SA, and R-Mixed Fzco.

Centric Brands Holdings LLC, Total World Co, Universal Music, Tank Stream Design, Itochu Muji, Ross Stores Inc, and Splash are also on the list, according to a document.

Ahmed said they were regularly holding meetings with the group's management to ensure the textile and garment units were reopened so that the workers could rejoin their workplaces soon.

However, the management is unsure whether the government will allow the reopening of the closed factories, he said.

Khalid Shahrior, head of human resources (HR) and compliance for the Textile and Garment Division of Beximco Group, said it was important to run the factories, regardless of who owns them.

"In the supply chain of the textile and garment division of the group, a few lakh people are involved, although the number of people directly employed is 40,000," he said.

The suppliers of raw materials, truck owners, transport owners, and even local landlords are also in trouble due to the layoff of workers and the closure of the units, he added.

The government is planning to find jobs for the laid-off workers in factories connected with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) and Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), said Shahrior.

However, many of the workers and officials are reluctant to move to unfamiliar areas to join these new workplaces, he said.

The group's management has already submitted several proposals to the central bank and finance ministry, seeking permission to run the factories and repay the loans, he said.

Md Abdul Latif, another merchandiser, said he has been working at the textile and garment division of the group for over 25 years and was entitled to Tk 45 lakh in service benefits.

However, uncertainty now looms over whether the amount will be paid, as the workers have been laid off, he said.

A large amount of salary has turned into arrears due to the layoffs, said Tariqul Islam, an executive in the administration department of Beximco Group.

However, it is possible to repay the loans and salaries within four to five months if the government allows the units to operate, he added.

AHM Shafiquzzaman, secretary to the labour and employment ministry, said the advisory committee would take a decision today regarding the 16 textile and garment units of Beximco Group.

In addition to finding jobs for the laid-off workers, the government is also looking for foreign buyers for the textile and garment factories, Shafiquzzaman said last week.