Keya Group Lays Off 613 Workers at Four Gazipur Factories Amid Banking, Gas Crises

👕 Gazipur, Bangladesh — Keya Group has laid off 613 workers across four factories in the Konabari Jarun area of Gazipur city, citing prolonged banking complications, disconnection of gas supplies over unpaid bills, and an excess workforce as the primary reasons for the mass termination.

📊> The layoffs took effect on 8 September 2026. A notice listing the names of those affected was put up at the factories’ main gate on Monday evening. Sabina Yasmin, manager of Keya Group’s human resources department, confirmed the authenticity of the notice.

🏭 Four Affected Factories

📊> The affected establishments are:

• 🧵 Knit Composite Division
• 🧵 Spinning Division
• 🧵 Cotton Division
• 🧵 Keya Yarn Mills Ltd

📊> According to sources, 613 workers and employees have been laid off across these four factories.

📜 Layoff Notice Details

💬> Signed by the factories’ managing director and chairman, the layoff notice said the company had decided to:

• 💰 Reduce production and administrative costs
• 🛢 Address prolonged banking complications
• ⚠ Address disconnection of gas supplies over unpaid bills
• 👥 Address excess workforce

📊> As part of the move, the authorities decided to abolish some positions across different sections, departments and divisions and laid off workers and employees considered surplus. The move was implemented under Section 20 of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.

📋> Repeated Layoffs Since June 2026

📊> The factories had been under repeated lay-offs since 6 June 2026. Although the temporary suspensions were extended several times, the authorities ultimately made the layoffs permanent effective from 8 September.

💬> Worker Voices: “How Will I Support My Family?”

💬> Workers who were on the lay-off list broke down in tears after seeing their names, with many saying they were now unsure how they would support their families as finding new jobs has become increasingly difficult.

💬> Swapna Begum, an operator in the sewing section who had worked at the factory for years, said: “Now that I have lost my job, the question is how I will support my family.”

💬> Nazrul Islam, another sewing operator who had worked there for about 10 years, said finding another job would be difficult. “Now that I have lost my job, I have no options. If I cannot find a new job for some reason, I will have no choice but to drive an auto-rickshaw,” he said.

💰> Worker Dues: 30 Working Days

💬> Keya’s HR Manager Sabina said the workers would not have to wait long for their dues. “All lawful dues of the laid-off workers will be paid in accordance with labour law within the next 30 working days,” she said.

📊> The factory authorities said the affected workers would receive all their legal dues in accordance with labour law. They also said skilled workers who have been laid off would be given priority for re-employment if the factories recruit again.

🛡 Security Tightened

📊> Security has been tightened around the factories following the layoffs. Mohammad Amzad Hossain, superintendent of the Gazipur industrial area under Industrial Police-2, said industrial police and Gazipur Metropolitan Police had been deployed at the factories’ main gate to maintain law and order and prevent any disruption.

🌏> Strategic Context: Bangladesh RMG Industry Under Pressure

📊> For Bangladesh’s RMG and textile sector, the Keya Group layoffs reflect broader industry pressures:

• 🛢 Gas crisis — 660 textile mills suffering from gas shortage, production down
• 💰 Banking complications — access to working capital constrained
• 📉 Export decline — RMG exports under pressure from US tariff policies
• 🛢 Energy costs — diesel-based backup generation increasing costs
• 📊 Yarn import bond facility withdrawal — affecting textile supply chain
• 📊 Global demand softening — US and EU apparel imports contracting

📋> Keya Group Background

📊> Keya Group is one of Bangladesh’s textile and RMG conglomerates with operations spanning:

• 🧵 Knit composite manufacturing
• 🧵 Spinning
• 🧵 Cotton processing
• 🧵 Yarn production

📊> The group’s factories in Konabari, Gazipur are part of Bangladesh’s largest industrial belt, which hosts hundreds of textile and garment factories employing millions of workers.

📈> Implications for Bangladesh Labor Market

📊> For Bangladesh’s labor market, the Keya Group layoffs have several implications:

• 👥 613 jobs lost — significant for Gazipur industrial area
• 💰 Worker dues within 30 days — compliance with labour law
• 📊 Re-employment priority — skilled workers may be rehired
• 📊 Industrial police deployment — preventing unrest
• 📊 Section 20 Labour Act — legal framework for layoffs
• 📊 Broader industry trend — other factories may follow

✅> For Bangladesh’s broader RMG sector, the Keya Group layoffs underscore the urgency of resolving the energy crisis and banking sector issues that are forcing factories to reduce production and lay off workers. With 660 textile mills already facing gas shortages and the PMI falling below 50 in August, the risk of further layoffs across the industry is significant — unless the government can stabilize energy supply and improve access to working capital for textile and garment manufacturers.

🌏> For the workers affected, the immediate challenge is finding alternative employment in an increasingly tight labor market. As Nazrul Islam’s words reflect — the prospect of driving an auto-rickshaw after 10 years in a garment factory illustrates the human cost of Bangladesh’s industrial energy crisis, which continues to erode the livelihoods of the very workers whose labor has built the country’s export economy.