Bangladesh's factories close for World Cup

Bangladesh garment export firms on Sunday protested against government orders to shut down factories during the cricket World Cup, saying the move would affect the country's economy. Garment factories have been instructed to close for six hours every evening until the final on April 2 so that power cuts do not affect avid cricket fans watching the games on television at home.
"We have told the factories about the government decision and asked them to shut their plants in the peak power hours," Manjur Rahman, head of state-owned Dhaka Electric Supply Company, said.
The order has enraged the country's 5,000 garment exporters, who employ millions of Bangladeshis making cheap clothes to be sold overseas for Western brands such as H&M and Levi's. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) wrote a letter to the prime minister and the minister of power, saying the evening shutdowns threatened the country's business image.
"We have said the order to shut factories has already started affecting the garment factories. We won't be able to ship our products in time if the order is not scrapped immediately," said BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy.
"All the companies have been booked with export orders. If they can't export the orders in time, it will obviously anger the buyers. Our reputation as a top garment exporter will be seriously dented," he told AFP.
Apparel export is the backbone of Bangladesh's economy, accounting for 80 percent of all the country's exports. The factories employ more than three million workers, mostly women.
"The whole economy will be affected because of this anti-industry step. We are great cricket fans, but that does not mean that we shall shut factories just to watch World Cup matches," Murshedy said. Bangladesh is struggling to tackle a major power crisis with regular outages as demand far outstrips supply.
The government took similar step during the soccer World Cup in 2010 as power blackouts during key matches saw tens of thousands of people stage violent protests, vandalising power offices and damaging cars.
Along with India and Sri Lanka, the country is a co-host of the World Cup cricket, which started in Dhaka on February 19. On Friday night fans across the country erupted in celebration after Bangladesh beat Ireland in a nerve-wracking match.