Factories shed workers in Bangladesh garment sector

GAZIPUR, Bangladesh: Garment worker Mosammat Aklima found out in a text message that she had become one of thousands laid off in the latest wave of cuts to hit Bangladesh's once-booming export industry.The news appearing on her mobile that July evening confirmed the end of her eight years' employment at Lithe Garments factory, a major manufacturer in the country's industrial heartland.She was among 3,000 people laid off in one go, a sign of the industry's struggle with slowing exports, weak customer demand and stiff competition from rivals India and Vietnam."I am three months pregnant now. It is not possible to find a new job," said Aklima, 27. "I will now dip into my savings, borrow some money. I don't know what's next," she told AFP in the garment hub of Gazipur.Aklima earned US$250 a mo