Hundreds of Bangladesh’s garment factories defied a nationwide coronavirus lockdown to reopen on Sunday, raising fears the industry’s vulnerable and largely female workforce could be exposed to the contagion. Big-name international brands have cancelled or held up billions of dollars in orders due to the pandemic, crippling an industry that accounts for nearly all of the South Asian country’s export earnings. Factories shut their doors in late March but some suppliers said they were now being pushed by retailers to fulfill outstanding export orders.
