ABSTRACT
Given the impact of the pandemic on Bangladesh's workforce, this chapter highlights the extended discourse of COVID-19 on the readymade garment (RMG) sector. A face-to-face survey of 500 RMG workers’ households was able to derive the impact of the pandemic on employment, income, expenditure, and food consumption via four framing issues (i.e., location of the surveyed workers, the location of the factories, the category of the garment made in the factories, and the gender and age of the workers surveyed). The survey further captures apparel workers’ adjustments and adaptation efforts via financial means and food consumption. The first and second waves of the pandemic are addressed, bringing newness to this study. Before moving on to policy recommendations, the discussion continues to the effectiveness of public policies for the RMG workers.
