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Around 1,000 staff members of FMC Dockyard Ltd in Chattogram are living and working on-site to tackle the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.The company has arranged to accommodate and feed its staff at the dockyard’s dormitories – to minimise their risk of coming in contact with coronavirus patients.The dockyard is also providing its staff with essentials including protective clothing and hand sanitiser. A medical camp has been set up on-site, and the staff are undergoing body temperature checks twice a day.

The dockyard, which is located in Boalkhali upazila of the port city, is now off limits to all visitors from outside. The shipbuilding company has announced that it will bear all the staff’s expenses throughout their stay at the dockyard. The company launched these special measures on Saturday, which will continue till March 31. The FMC dockyard is spending around Tk2 lakh every day to implement these special measures. Speaking to The Business Standard, FMC Group’s Chairman Mohammad Yasin Chowdhury said, “The prosperity of the company and its staff must be upheld. We had to implement these measures to remain competitive and safeguard our business. “If we shut down the company, the staff will suffer. So, we opted to continue with daily operations while ensuring the staff’s safety. We also granted leaves-of-absence to anyone unwilling to work. All staff will get their salary and allowances during their leave period.” Assistant Engineer Abdullah Al Mahmud, working at the FMC Dockyard Ltd, said, “I used to commute from home to my office every day. Under the special measures our company implemented, I settled into the dockyard dormitory on Saturday.” “We undergo health checkups every day, and work is progressing according to schedule. Anyone feeling ill is receiving the treatment they need,” he continued.