Joe Biden running out of money for Ukraine

The Biden administration has reached the end of its presidential drawdown authority funding, with about US$100 million left, the Pentagon’s top spokesman said Monday.   

Between President Biden’s Friday announcement of a US$150 million assistance package to Ukraine and the remaining US$100 million, the United States will be able to provide weapons and equipment to Ukraine until “about the third week of this month,” Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters. 

“We’re going to be working that in real time with the Ukrainians, that will get us to about the third week of this month, is what we’re pretty much anticipating,” Kirby said. 

Biden last week warned that the latest round of military assistance for Ukraine — a US$150 million package to include artillery munitions, radars and other equipment — would nearly exhaust the military assistance that Congress has so far approved for the administration to deliver to Ukraine.  

At the time, he pressed Congress to quickly approve the US$33 billion the White House has asked for in additional security, economic and humanitarian assistance for Kyiv — about US$5 billion of which would go to additional presidential drawdown authority funding.  

Kirby on Monday echoed that thinking and said the administration continues “to urge Congress to pass the president’s supplemental request as soon as possible so that we can continue to provide aid to Ukraine uninterrupted.” 

Kirby said the drawdown authority allows the United States to get weapons and equipment “off our shelves — we already own it, it’s already ours — and get it right to Ukraine.” 

“We think with what we got left that’ll get us through most of this month and in terms of future packages and future material, but that’s why we’re urging Congress to act quickly,” he added. 

Congress is drafting legislation to meet the administration’s request — which has bipartisan support — but the process of approving such a bill may be complicated due to a desire by some to link it to a separate administration ask for more COVID-19 pandemic assistance.   

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visits Iran

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made an unannounced visit to Iran on Sunday and met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi. 

This is the second time that Assad visits Tehran since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011.

According to the Leader's office, Ayatollah Khamenei told Assad, who was accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, that Syria has won an international war. "Syria's credibility is much greater today than in the past," the Leader noted.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the resistance of the Syrian people and establishment and their victory in an international war promoted Syria's charisma and pride.

More than 100 countries, calling themselves friends of Syria, backed the opponents which were poised to overthrow the Syrian government. Some of these countries backed terrorist groups, which were active in Syria under different names.

Highlighting Syria's great military and political achievements, the Leader said today’s Syria is not comparable to the Syria before the war.

Today the president of Syria and the Syrian people are proud of the nations of the region, Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Leader added, “Some leaders of our and your neighboring countries meet and greet with the leaders of the Zionist regime and drink coffee together, but the people of these countries take to the streets on Quds Day and chant anti-Zionist slogans, and this is the reality of the region today.”

Pointing to several factors influencing the resistance and victory of Syria in the international war, the Leader told Assad, “One of the most important factors is your high morale and with this spirit, God willing, you can rebuild the ruins of the war because you have a great job ahead of you.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also commemorated the memory of the legendary commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, saying, “The great martyr had a special liking towards Syria and literally sacrificed his life for the country. His behavior in Syria was no different from his behavior in the eight-year Sacred Defense of Iran.”

General Soleimani was very influential in defeating terrorists in Syria through his unique commandership.

Ayatollah Khamenei said General Soleimani and other prominent members of the IRGC, including martyr Hossein Hamedani, really worked hard and viewed the issue of Syria as a “sacred duty and obligation”.

“This bond between Iran and Syria is vital for both countries and we should not let it weaken. On the contrary, we should strengthen it as much as possible,” Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized.

The Leader also referring to expression of friendship and love of certain countries that were on the front line against Syria in previous years, suggesting Iran and Syria must clarify the path to future “with the benefit of hindsight.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also praised the morale and vivacity of the Syrian president as the basis for doing great things.

During the meeting, which was also attended by President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Assad thanked the position of Iran toward the Syria war and thanked the Iranian people and government for supporting his country in times of need.

The Syrian president pointed out that the ruins of the war in his country can be rebuilt, but if the foundations and principles had been destroyed, they could not be restored.

“The adherences of the Iranian nation to the principles of Imam Khomeini, which continued with your efforts, paved the way for the great victories of the Iranian nation and the people of the region, especially the Palestinian people,” Assad told Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Syrian president added that some people think that Iran's support for the Resistance Front is of military nature but the most important support and assistance of the Islamic Republic is to breathe the spirit of resistance and continuing it.

In conclusion, the Syrian president stressed that what has made the Zionist regime unable to rule the region is the strategic relations between Iran and Syria, which must continue with strength. Raisi said parts of Syria still under foreign occupation must be liberated

Speaking in a separate meeting with the Syrian President before noon on Sunday, President Raisi said, “What we are witnessing today in Western Asia, which is the result of the resistance of nations against domineering powers and aggressors, is what the Leader of the Islamic Revolution had predicted.”

Commemorating the martyrs of the resistance from Syria and Iran, including General Soleimani, and appreciating the bravery of the Islamic world’s fighters against terrorism, the president called Assad one of the figures of the Resistance Front “like his father.”

Referring to the political and security developments in the region in the last decade, Raisi emphasized, “The warriors of the resistance have proven that they are a reliable force for establishing stability and security in the region, including in Syria.”

Emphasizing the need for all countries to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the president stated that Iran stood by the Syrian people and government when some Arab and non-Arab leaders in the region were betting on the time of the fall of the Syrian government.

Raisi went on to say that the bravery demonstrated by the Syrian Army, national defense forces and Resistance fighters in the region, especially Hezbollah, played a key role in uprooting Daesh and other terrorist groups that threatened the security of the entire region.

Raisi also expressed regret that important parts of the Syrian territory are still occupied by foreign forces, suggesting, “The whole of the Syrian land must be liberated from foreign occupiers. This occupation should not be subject to the passage of time, and the occupying forces and their mercenaries should be expelled.”

Referring to repeated aggressions of Israeli forces, the president stressed that the threats of the Israeli regime in the region should be addressed by “strengthening and diversifying the deterrence equations.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raisi referred to the need to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two countries, emphasizing, “The serious will and desire of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to improve the level of cooperation and relations with Damascus, especially in economic and trade fields.”

For his part, Syrian president stressed the role of Iran in the fight against terrorism in the region, noting that his country is ready for broader coordination with Iran in security, political and economic fields.

The Syrian president added, “In the years of resistance and confrontation with Western and Takfiri aggressions, Iran was the only country that stood by us from the beginning.”

He described the relations between Syria and Iran as “strategic” and stated that developments in the region after a decade of war against the axis of resistance, have shown that resistance is effective and vibrant.

“We have shown that by working closely with the countries of the region, we can defeat the United States and the hegemons who claim to be superpowers, and today we are witnessing the collapse of the role of the United States in the Western Asia region,” Assad stated, adding that the world is witnessing the declining role of the United States in the region.

Elsewhere in the conversation, the Syrian president said, “Experience has shown that the coordination and interaction of countries in the region on various issues, including the Palestinian issue, has been very effective, and the success of the Palestinian resistance has shown that compromise by some Arab states has backfired.”

Thanking Iran’s support for the Syrian people in the war on terrorism, Assad said, “The Syrian people and government are grateful to the Iranian people and consider themselves committed and indebted to Iran.”

Is the end of US dollar dominance approaching faster than anticipated?

With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Western countries have imposed all-rounded sanctions on Russia. This, in turn, has had an impact on the global economic, trade and financial systems, raising concerns in the market and academic circles about the adjustment of the global financial system. 

One of the main issues being debated is the future of the US dollar.

Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that financial sanctions against Russia by the West could gradually weaken the US dollar’s role in the world, leading to further fragmentation of the international monetary system.

Analysts such as Goldman Sachs Economist Cristina Tessari said the actions of the United States and its allies to freeze Russia’s central bank’s foreign exchange reserves have sparked fears that countries may begin to ditch the dollar due to concerns about the power that the United States could muster thanks to the dominance of the currency.

Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard University Economics Professor, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the dominance of the dollar could end within 20 years. The reason is that the US and its allies have launched sanctions due to the Russia-Ukraine war, restricting Russia’s access to the dollar-dominated global financial system.

This ‘weaponization of the dollar’ will instead stimulate the acceleration of alternative solutions. Rogoff believes that the US blockade or freezing of the foreign exchange reserves of the Russian central bank is undoubtedly a historic development.

The preeminence of financial sanctions on Russia by the US-led Western world could accelerate changes in the international financial system to compete with the US dollar. While this certainly would not happen overnight, what could have taken 50 years may now only take 20 years to realize, said Rogoff.

This narrative appears to be supported by data changes in the dollar’s position in global markets. According to the IMF’s most recent Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves (COFER) data, the American currency’s global dollar-denominated foreign exchange reserves were US$7,087 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021, with a market share of 59.15% in the third quarter, which had dropped to 58.81%.

The dollar’s share of the global reserve currency was as high as 72% around the turn of the century. According to SWIFT’s worldwide payment data, the payment share of the US dollar has declined to 38.85% in 2022.

Is the outlook for the dollar’s prospect as pessimistic as these academics and institutions predict?

Anbound’s founder Chan Kung holds the exact opposite view. He believes that if the global situation continues with the current development trend, the US dollar will stand out in the world. If there are no exchange rate swings caused by inflation or emergency, the US dollar will be in a unique position when compared to the world’s major currencies.

This begs the question, why would the future of the US currency be diametrically opposed to what many feels is happening while a significant game-changing geopolitical event, especially the conflict in Ukraine, is ongoing?

The difference lies mainly in the variety of opinions on the impact of the geopolitical event of the war in Ukraine. Professor Rogoff believes that the dollar has been reduced in terms of market scale, and new currency substitutes will emerge, thereby weakening the dollar’s status.

However, Chan Kung believes that the alternatives to the US dollar cannot succeed, because the market of these alternatives is weak, while their social economy is turbulent, and some are even still in war zones.

For these reasons, the US dollar will remain strong, even becoming the sole stable international currency in circulation. All in all, geopolitical factors play an important role in global currencies, and the dollar will be supported by it.

Chan Kung noted in his article ‘Bracing the Era of Economic Shortage’ that during a period of economic uncertainty, the Anglo-American axis countries might be safer havens in the face of geopolitical turbulence. He believes that once the geopolitical war in Europe is resolved, the maritime countries and economy of the American continent would re-emerge.

From the perspective of the world’s spatial pattern, conflicts and competitions are most intense in the continental region of the world, that is, the continental region where Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Central Asia, China and India are located. It would be difficult to establish buffer zones between them, hence there are direct collisions with each other.

Conflicts and competitions are unavoidable and often have existed since time immemorial. The deep mutual hostility has long been recorded in the chapters of history, and the only thing lacking is often a reason for the actual friction to take place in reality.

In contrast, the geographical location of the Anglo-American axis is in the middle of the ocean. The Atlantic and Pacific routes connect the American continent and a large number of island countries and regions of different sizes, and there are often oceanic divisions between them.

Historically and relatively speaking lesser enmities exist between these parts of the world, and they are mutually dependent in trade relations. Therefore, while the continental regions are experiencing violent upheaval, the Anglo-American axis, the maritime states, and the Americas have more prominent opportunities for development and enjoy greater prosperity than before.

Anbound

Anbound Consulting (Anbound) is an independent Think Tank with the headquarter based in Beijing. Established in 1993, Anbound specializes in public policy research, and enjoys a professional reputation in the areas of strategic forecasting, policy solutions and risk analysis. Anbound's research findings are widely recognized and create a deep interest within public media, academics and experts who are also providing consulting service to the State Council of China.

 

Hassanabad Bridge on Karakoram Highway linking Pakistan and China swept away

Hassanabad Bridge in Hunza on the Karakoram Highway linking Pakistan and China was on Saturday destroyed and swept away by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from the Shishper Glacier. 

The Gilgit-Baltistan tourist police confirmed the development, adding that traffic had been diverted to an alternate route on the Sas Valley Road.

Hunza Superintendent of Police (SP) Zahoor Ahmed said the glacier had started melting on Saturday due to heat and caused a flood that damaged the bridge and rendered it unusable for traffic.

He said tourists were facing difficulties and had been provided alternate routes through Ganish and Murtazabad. He added that tourist police were also appointed at various spots to prevent any inconvenience to tourists.

The SP said that families near the nullah were shifted to safer places and the entire administration, including the police and rescue services, were on alert due to the emergency situation.

Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said that the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organisation assured him that the bridge would be repaired as a matter of urgency.

The Chief Secretary also directed GB Home Secretary Iqbal Hussain, Gilgit's commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of the concerned districts to take immediate steps for the restoration of the Hassanabad bridge and resolve the inconvenience caused to the passengers.

According to information from the Chief Secretary's office, the supply of provisions and fuel to the tourists was also being ensured along with rehabilitation and rations for the affected families.

It added that two power plants of Hassanabad were also swept away by the flood.

A statement issued by the district police said that control rooms were set up in Hunza and Gilgit, which could be contacted on 05813-930721-2 and 05811-930033, respectively.

Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman warned that there were many such vulnerable areas in GB and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "Pakistan has the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region and many are losing mass due to high global temperatures," she pointed out.

Rehman had earlier cautioned the provincial disaster management authorities and home departments that due to an increase in regional temperatures, there was a possibility of GLOF events and flash floods in GB and KP.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also said the melting of glaciers was a "matter of concern". He said collective efforts at the international level were needed to tackle climate change.

"The situation arising out of lake eruption on Shishper Glacier needs to be dealt with on an urgent basis. The government must ensure that local communities are not harmed in any way and land routes remain open.

"Hopefully, the administration will ensure that ordinary people and tourists do not face difficulties," Bilawal said.

GB Environmental Protection Agency Director Shahzad Shigri said climate change had accelerated the melting of glaciers in the region and posed a serious threat to the population.

 

 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited by Antony Blinken to attend food security meeting at UN headquarters

Reportedly top-level contacts between Pakistan and the United States recommenced on Friday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and inviting him to attend a food security meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on May 18, 2022.

The two-day ministerial conference will focus on the threat to global food security, triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and will be chaired by Blinken himself.

Such encouraging statements were rare during the PTI regime and the phone call to Bilawal was the first contact between the foreign ministers of the two countries in quite a while. On September 24, 2021, then Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had met Secretary Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

Pakistan is also exploring the possibility of bringing Bilawal to Washington for a separate meeting with Secretary Blinken. “Why wait? Why not try to arrange a meeting now?” said a diplomatic source when asked if Pakistan was seeking a Bilawal-Blinken meeting later this month.

 “Received a call from Secretary Blinken. Grateful for warm felicitations on my assumption of office,” Bilawal said in a tweet he posted after the call.

“Exchanged views on strengthening mutually beneficial, broad-based relationship, promotion of peace, development and security and agreed engagement with mutual respect is the way forward between the US and Pakistan,” he wrote.

The two-day ministerial meeting that Pakistan’s young Foreign Minister has been invited to precedes a UN Security Council debate on ‘Conflict and Food Security’.

The US says that since the February 24 invasion, Russia has blocked Ukraine’s ports, causing the suspension of food supplies to the Middle East and Africa.

Pakistan’s participation in a UN meeting that highlights the problems caused by the Russian invasion would be a major departure from the policies of the previous PTI government.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan clearly annoyed the US and other Western powers by visiting Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Later, he claimed that the US “conspired” with Pakistani opposition parties to oust him and displays a diplomatic cable to support his claim.

Washington has rejected his claim, saying that although it backs the democratic process in Pakistan, it does not support any party or individual. Such terse exchanges between Islamabad and Washington further strained an already tense relationship.

But since Khan’s departure, the Biden administration has issued almost a dozen statements underlining its desire to re-engaging with Pakistan.

The ministerial conference in New York would be Bilawal’s first participation in a multilateral meeting since becoming foreign minister late last month.

A source, privy to the conversation, while confirming the invitation, hoped that it works out. Secretary Blinken had called to greet the new Foreign Minister, but the conversation continued for nearly fifty minutes, in which both sides discussed various aspects of the bilateral cooperation and expressed keen interest in re-engaging.

“The conversation went very well,” the source maintained.

The source also said that neither side spoke about the former PTI government’s allegation that the US conspired to topple it.

A US State Department readout of Friday’s call highlighted several key points of the conversation that focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship and working together to stabilize Afghanistan.

Spokesperson Ned Price said that Secretary Blinken reiterated the desire to strengthen our broad-based bilateral relationship. The secretary underscored the resolute US-Pakistan commitment to Afghan stability and combating terrorism. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also highlighted ongoing engagement on trade and investment, climate, energy, health, and education, Price added.

He noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of US-Pakistani relations and “we look forward to strengthening our cooperation.”

In Islamabad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, saying that in the phone call, Secretary Blinken expressed the desire to continue strengthening mutually beneficial US-Pakistan bilateral relationship.

Exchanging views on various aspects of US-Pakistan relations, the Foreign Minister underscored that Pakistan and the United States had a longstanding broad-based relationship, the statement added.

Bilawal said that a constructive and sustained engagement between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest was vital to promote peace, development and security in the region and beyond.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan’s vision was focused on human development, regional connectivity, and a peaceful neighborhood.

Secretary Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit, which is to be held virtually later this month.

 

US Senate adopts measures to stop revival of Iran nuclear deal

President, Joe Biden’s bid to revive the Iran nuclear deal flunked its first test in the US Senate, Politico reported. 16 Democrats voted with almost all Republicans to approve Sen. James Lankford’s motion.

Former US President Donald Trump had blacklisted the IRGC to make a return to the nuclear deal difficult, which he abandoned in May 2018.

Senators voted to endorse a Republican-led measure stating that any nuclear agreement with Tehran should also address what they claimed Iran’s support for terrorism in the region, and that the US should not lift sanctions on a branch of the Iranian military, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

While the measure itself was non-binding, the vote was hailed as a modest victory for Republicans who have pushed the Biden administration to walk away from the talks in Vienna.

 “We want a longer and stronger deal,” Sen. Cory Booker said when asked why he supported the measure. “I want the best deal possible that secures the region and prevents Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”

Contrary to claims by certain US Congresspersons, Iran has said it will not seek nuclear weapons with or without a nuclear deal.  The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also banned production, stockpiling and use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) including nuclear arms. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, who spoke on the Senate floor against the measure, suggested it could undermine the Biden administration’s efforts and said it would be an endorsement of the Donald Trump-era approach to Iran.

“To deny this administration the ability to enter into a nuclear agreement isn’t just folly, it’s downright dangerous…. We should not endorse four more years of this failed Iran policy,” Murphy said.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin downplayed the vote and said he expects at least half of the Democrats who supported the Lankford motion would ultimately side with the Biden administration on a nuclear deal.

“It was a non-binding vote. It’s a political year,” Durbin said.

A State Department spokesperson reiterated that Biden is seeking a full return to the 2015 agreement and said “nothing in a nuclear deal would diminish our resolve to continue combating” Iran’s ballistic missile program and its policy in the region.

“If and when we conclude a deal on mutual return to full implementation of the 2015 deal, we will look forward to defending it in detail, and we are confident that it will have support in Congress and with the American people,” the spokesperson added.

Most Democrats, even those who opposed the initial deal, criticized Trump for pulling out of the agreement in 2018 and implementing a so-called maximum pressure campaign of sanctions and other punitive measures against Iran. Democrats say Trump’s policy failed, pushing Iran much closer to achieving full nuclear capabilities.

Iran has demanded that the US scrap the IRGC’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization as part of an eventual nuclear agreement. Allies of the Biden team have argued that the designation itself is largely symbolic. But dozens of Democrats, particularly in the House, have urged the Biden administration to resist delisting the IRGC.

Never ending tragedy of ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh

According to a Dhaka Tribune report, like every year, just before the Eid holidays, ready-made garment (RMG) workers had to resort to street processions demanding their full salary and bonus. 

Reports indicated that RMG workers demonstrated in Mirpur, Uttara, and Savar, causing traffic disruptions across Dhaka. Police dispersed them by shooting tear gas, injuring many workers.

Though people have become accustomed to seeing protests by RMG workers, these events are paradoxical if considered that the RMG industry is one of the pillars of the country’s growing economy. Yet, these workers face neglect and misery, and just before the Eid holidays, their tragedies become more apparent.

The recent protests started after the government on April 11, 2022 instructed factory owners to pay 15 days’ wages before the holiday. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed that factories were prepared to follow the directive, but “if any factory owners want to pay their workers for the full month, they can.”

This is unfortunate that the government advised not to disburse full salary — observers do not think any service holder would have liked it if they did not get their full monthly salary and bonus before the Eid holidays.

Since the government announced the directive to pay trunked salaries before Eid, workers’ leaders predicted unrest, but the factory owners repeatedly said there was no fear of turmoil. Since the decision was publicized, observers heard the news about road blockades demanding full salary. Skeptics claimed that worker leaders uttered the demands for their interests or served a vested quarter.

One could argue that in capitalism, workers’ well-being is hardly a concern for the industry owners. In addition, they are motivated by profit-making possibilities. However, this tendency to hold back some money before the workers go on holiday is a labour management strategy for ensuring their timely return. But from the workers’ perspective, not receiving salary on time is a significant breach of promise, as most workers would claim, “if we do not get our salary on time, there is no point in going to our family.”

Bangladesh will soon become a middle-income country, but when will RMG workers’ tragedies end?

The difficulties RMG workers usually face in getting their full salary and bonus seem incongruent with the export income earned by the garment sector. Following the Covid-19 setback, businesses have gained pace; in the last fiscal year, Bangladesh earned export proceeds of US$38.75 billion. Besides, during the previous nine months (July-March) of this fiscal year, Bangladesh exported RMG products worth US$31.42 billion gaining a YoY growth of 33.81%.

While the sector is thriving in business volume, the workers had to take to the streets with demands to receive their salary on time.

To recap some events that shocked many during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though a stimulus package of Tk 5000 crore was announced for the RMG sector, from April to May 2020 alone, 18,000 workers were dismissed as per estimates of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments. Moreover, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has found that as much as 42% of the RMG workers primarily employed in micro, small, and medium-sized factories, did not receive help from the stimulus package.

If one looks a little further back, during the first wave of Covid in the country, on the morning of April 4, 2020, many were shocked to see a rush toward Dhaka. This rang an alarm as the country was supposed to remain under lockdown to minimize the risks of spreading the virus. Late in the evening of that day, the BGMEA President requested the closure of all the factories during the lockdown period.

But by then, many had travelled to Dhaka, and many were stuck in between. As an institution, BGMEA restated that they could not force any factories to remain closed. Unfortunately, the government did not ask the factories to shut down; instead, it only discussed measures to ensure the workers’ salaries were on time to justify their questionable actions. The workers went through this toil as many did not receive their pending salary before the lockdown started on March 26 and were likely to lose their jobs if they would not report to the factory as and when instructed. The testimonies of the returnee garment workers revealed such concerns.

Bangladesh went into another lockdown phase in 2021, starting from July 23 until August 5. However, upon repeated requests from the industry owners, the authorities suddenly decided on the afternoon of July 30 to reopen export-oriented industries on August 1, including the RMG sector — while the entire country would follow the lockdown till 5 August. Therefore, people rushed to get back to the industrial cities to save jobs, but there was hardly enough public transport. Hence, these workers had to pay five to 10 times higher fares to reach their factories on time.

During the negotiations with the government, factory owners claimed they would start operations with the workers living near factory areas, and workers who travelled to the villages would join later. However, many workers said factory supervisors contacted them over the phone and asked them to join work on August 1. Ignoring health and social distancing directives, hundreds of thousands of workers travelled in crammed goods transports, auto-rickshaws, rickshaw vans, and even walked to their workplaces in Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Gazipur to save their jobs.

RMG workers toil throughout the year towards meeting production targets and eventually contribute to earning foreign currencies, but it is tragic to see them protesting for unpaid salaries. For demanding their rightful wage, workers face police brutality, and many workers lose their jobs having allegations of “creating disruption” in production.

Even if these protests do not turn into outright conflict, these events reflect the power imbalance between workers and owners — that culminated in the Rana Plaza calamity back in 2013.