Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, announced today that the government has imposed a travel ban on 12 garment factory owners for failing to pay workers’ salaries and bonuses.

The ban, jointly enforced by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, will be lifted if the owners clear the outstanding payments by March 27. Otherwise, it will remain in effect, Hossain stated at a press conference held at the shipping ministry’s conference room in the capital.

The move comes amid concerns over wage delays in the garment sector, which remains a key contributor to Bangladesh’s economy.