New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS): In a bizarre chain of events, textile workers in Bangladesh are complaining of “ghosts” and “jinns” haunting their workplaces, leading to widespread panic and uncertainty in the industry, according to a media report that also explored logical conclusions.
Such incidents have been occurring for some time, throwing the sector into a tizzy, as “at least 11 such incidents have happened in the past decade. Earlier, in 2008, a similar panic spread across several factories, which was more than any other year,” reported Bangladesh’s popular Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Wednesday.
In recent times, after lunch break at the export-oriented garment factory Universal Menswear, a female worker from the third floor screamed “ghost” and fainted, said the report.
Panic spread quickly through the factory as about 50 workers on the second and third floors of the unit also took ill, it added. Facing uncertainty, the management was forced to shut the factory that day. But the incident repeated itself the next day, leading them to shut down again.
The incident, according to the report, took place on August 22 at the Adamjee Export Processing Zone in Narayanganj. The area is a major industrial hub on Dhaka’s outskirts, known for its jute and textile industries, river port, and rich cultural heritage.
The report added that far from being an isolated incident, at least 11 similar episodes have occurred in the garment sector over the past decade.
In 2008, multiple factories reportedly experienced similar “ghost” or “jinn” scares, which was more than in any other year. As per an analysis, such incidents usually occur in large factories, often beginning with rumours of ghosts in bathrooms or claims that someone was “possessed”, said the report, adding that a worker’s illness often triggers mass fainting or sickness among others.
A rational answer was quoted by the report from Nazma Akhter, President of the Garments Workers Unity Forum, who explained that female workers may suffer from physical and mental stress.
Low wages mean they cannot afford nutritious food most days; family problems add to mental pressure; and many attend work despite being unwell.
Under such strain, workers often collapse, the report deduced, adding that some people use the situations to spread fear. It highlighted several similar incidents reported over a decade.
Factory managers and labour union leaders reportedly highlighted factors like work stress, malnutrition, superstition, and psychological contagion as being behind the episodes.
Without proper wages, nutrition, and mental health support, such incidents are likely to recur, disrupting production and harming workers point to several factors, including malnutrition and weakness among workers, they stated, thus putting reason above the “supernatural”.
Some owners also suspect organised groups deliberately spreading panic to disrupt production, though it could not be established by the newspaper.
Additionally, it quoted Professor Helal Uddin Ahmed in the Psychiatry department of Faridpur Medical College, who explained that symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and stomach pain are signs of conversion disorder.
Also known as Functional Neurological Disorder, it is a condition where real neurological‑like symptoms – like weakness, seizures, or sensory loss – occur without a detectable neurological disease, caused by disrupted brain-body communication rather than structural damage.
According to the professor, when it spreads among groups, it is called mass psychogenic illness. Such outbreaks are reportedly common in schools, hostels, and factories. He emphasised that workers need mental health awareness, counseling, rest facilities, and fair wages to prevent such symptoms.
