Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BKMEA) have decided to keep all garment factories closed until April 25.

“All concerned are hereby informed that member organisations of BGMEA and BKMEA will remain closed until April 25 in line with the government-declared general holidays due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said BGMEA President Dr Rubana Huq and BKMEA President AKM Salim Osman in a joint statement on Friday.

If it is necessary to keep the office of any factory open for disbursement of salaries, authorities have been urged to inform respective associations -- BGMEA or BKMEA -- and industrial police, the statement said.

On March 26, BGMEA Dr Rubana Huq urged the owners to consider the closure of their factories as the nation is fighting to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

BGMEA on April 6 also said they continued recommending closure of all factories as the general holiday has been extended until April 14.

On Friday, the government extended general holidays until April 25, aiming to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

A notification, issued by the Public Administration Ministry, instructed all citizens of the country not to come out of home after 6pm and if anyone defies this, he/she will be brought under legal action. Moving from one area to other is also restricted strictly, it said.

Besides educational institutions, rail, road, river and air communications have been shut down to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Bangladesh on Friday reported 94 new cases and six more deaths from coronavirus.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 424 and 27 deaths were reported from coronavirus as of Friday.

Meanwhile, the global death toll from coronavirus reached 95,794 as of Friday.