The Ethical Trading Initiative, a platform of trade unions, NGOs, and companies, has urged global buyers and Bangladeshi factory owners to adapt working patterns, including extending production timelines, due to the unrest over quota reforms and government-imposed curfew.

The ETI in a statement on Wednesday said that workers might be directly or indirectly impacted by the unrest, for example as they travel to and from work, or if they or their relatives have been injured or killed during this unrest.

‘As a result, factories and production schedules may face disruption and necessary adaptions to working patterns should be expected,’ the platform said.

The ETI recommended that responsible businesses sourcing from or operating in Bangladesh should adjust their expectations and purchasing practices to adapt to these exceptional circumstances.

For example, production timelines may need to be extended due to factory closures resulting from the unrest and the curfew, it said.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association executive president Mohammad Hatem termed the ETI statement timely.

Echoing the ETI call for responsible business, Hatem urged the global buyers to extend production timelines for the existing orders as factories were shut for at least four days due to the unrest and the curfew.

The ETI said that in recent weeks Dhaka had faced the most violent mass protests in a decade and police on Saturday imposed a strict ‘shoot-on-sight’ curfew across Bangladesh.

Clashes have resulted in thousands of injuries and around 150 deaths, though official figures are not released, it said.

‘We are gathering information to better assess the situation and its impacts on workers in supply chains. However, communications with ETI Bangladesh over the last few days have been extremely difficult due the communications blackout in place, which includes suspension of internet, mobile data and text message services,’ the statement said.

The platform also recommended that once communication channels are re-established, responsible businesses sourcing from or operating in Bangladesh should engage with their suppliers to assess the impact of the unrest on their orders and agree on adjustments that are practical, realistic and consistent with the ETI’s recommended responsible purchasing practices.

The ETI would continue to monitor the situation and keep members informed about the evolving circumstances and expectations for responsible business conduct, the platform said.

Hatem also urged the global buyers not to shift any orders from Bangladesh to other countries due to the communications blackout in the past week.

The country’s export-oriented readymade garment factories reopened on Wednesday after a four-day closure since Saturday due to the unrest over the quota reform movement and the curfew imposed by the government to control the situation.