Image Courtesy: http://www.india.com/

The chilling after-effects of the horrifying terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery, Dhaka on the night of July 1 are being felt even today! Many foreign companies and manufactures have halted all business visits to the country, which is known as the one of the world’s second largest garment exporting nation.

Japanese apparel giant Uniqlo, which has around 140 people working for it in Bangladesh including 10 Japanese, is the first to make the move. A spokeswoman for Fast Retailing, owner of Uniqlo casual clothing brand confirmed that all of its local and Japanese staff are safe.

She further added that at the moment, all Japanese staff have been asked to remain home and all business travel to Bangladesh except for critical ones have been suspended until further notice.

The Hong Kong-based apparel firm, Mainland Headwear Holdings, which operates a factory in the outskirts of Dhaka, also immediately requested for a security upgrade in its factory premises for the sake of its staff’s safety.

The firm’s Deputy Chairman Ngan Po-ling stated that the company was deeply shocked and saddened by the attack and had immediately informed local police about the location of the group’s workers in its facility.

An atmosphere of fear is palpable in the country after a group of Islamic militants stormed a cafe located in the diplomatic area of Dhaka recently, creating a 12-hour hostage situation that took lives of nearly 20 foreigners including 7 Japanese, 9 Italians, a US citizen and an Indian.

According to Sudhir Dhingra, Head of Gurgaon-based Company, Orient Craft, there will definitely be an impact on the garment industry. “I was just speaking to a top label, which said its official who was supposed to visit Bangladesh to inspect an order has refused to go,” he said.

Some of the Bangladeshi exporters who dealt with those who were killed in the attack are still trying to come to terms with the horrific incident. One of them, Meshba Uddin Ali, Managing Director of Wega Fashion Sweater Pvt Ltd said, “I was doing business with six of the nine Italians who died. It’s shocking and heartbreaking.”

Though this attack has been the biggest so far, the country is not new to attack against religious minorities, which is a rising concern for the entire world considering the fact that Bangladesh is the second biggest garment manufacturer in Asia, standing only behind China.