More than 100 female workers fall Ill at Adamjee EPZ factory

Collected Photo

More than 100 female workers reportedly fell ill at a garment factory in Adamjee Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, on Saturday afternoon. The workers of Universal Menswear Limited reportedly became sick one after another, while the exact cause of the illness could not immediately be confirmed.

The incident occurred on the second and third floors of the factory’s new building after noon. As the number of sick workers increased, panic spread among employees, with many rushing outside. The affected workers were taken to the BEPZA Medical Centre at Adamjee EPZ for treatment. Factory authorities reportedly advanced the closing time from 9:00pm to around 7:30pm amid the situation.

A worker, speaking to Jago News on condition of anonymity, said female workers on the second and third floors had been falling ill one after another since the afternoon. However, the factory’s General Manager Billal Hossain said only seven to eight workers had suddenly fallen ill, while several others were experiencing symptoms. He said the factory authorities could not yet determine the cause of the illness.

Nasrin, Additional Executive Director of BEPZA at Adamjee EPZ, said around 20 workers had initially been identified as ill and were receiving treatment. She said preliminary assessment suggested they may have suffered heatstroke, adding that further details would be available after a more thorough assessment. Attempts to contact the Managing Director of Adamjee EPZ for comment were unsuccessful.