Industrial activities resume in Bangladesh

Following a July 19 nationwide curfew and communications blackout, the Bangladesh government began easing restrictions on July 24. A number of measures were taken to contain demonstrations and violent clashes, including the deployment of the national army.

According to state-controlled media, more than 27,000 troops were deployed in 57 districts to quell protests against government demands for quota reform. An official gazette published by the Ministry of Public Administration on July 23 confirmed that the government had made changes to the quota allocation.

According to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, curfews will now be imposed from 10 am to 5 pm in Dhaka and from 9 am to 6 pm in Sylhet on July 24 and 25. While communication networks are slowly recovering, market participants say internet and network services are still not fully restored, preventing business from returning to normal. Broadband internet service has resumed in some areas, including diplomatic and commercial districts, after a five-day outage, but access to social media is still limited.

According to a leading steel producer in the region, steel production has remained largely uninterrupted despite recent events. The main impact has been felt on sales and deliveries and this is expected to improve as conditions improve.

Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told state-controlled media that the situation is expected to stabilize in the next three to four days, but no clear date has been given for the complete lifting of curfews.

The US State Department and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to warn against travel to Bangladesh unless absolutely necessary.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) announced the temporary suspension of import and export operations at various ports across the country. It is stated that activities at Chittagong port continue, albeit slowly, and dozens of ships are waiting in the open sea.

The FBCCI demanded that the government exempt importers and exporters from port and transportation fees and suggested that these fees should not be imposed until 15 days after port operations return to normal.