Around one third garment factories in Dhaka have not yet paid salaries and allowances to the workers for the month of June, BGMEA sources said on Friday.

Owners of 461 Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) member factories fails pay their workers in June, sources said.

Overall owners of 1,465 companies or 76pc of BGMEA enlisted members have paid their salaries and allowances for the month of June while 461 or 24pc factory owners have kept their workers unpaid.

According to BGMEA data, 260 out of 330 member factories in Dhaka Metropolitan Area have paid their workers for the month of June.

Besides, 576 out of the 713 factories in Gazipur, 323 out of 412 factories in Savar-Ashulia, 157 out of 198 factories in Narayanganj, 135 out of 252 factories in Chittagong and 14 out of 16 factories in remote areas have paid their workers.

When asked about failing to pay the workers in the month of June, BGMEA Standing Body Chairman (Media) Monirul Alam Shuvo said, the factories which have not yet paid their workers will pay within this month.

We hope that salaries and allowances will be paid to all our member factories soon, he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced an incentive package of Tk 5,000 crore to pay salaries and allowances of export-oriented industries to overcome the damage caused by the coronavirus.

Most of the owners of the garment industry have received the lion’s share of the Tk 5,000 crore incentive package as loan.