In the backdrop of allegations levelled by two retailers’ groups of slow progress in remediation work in RMG factories of Bangladesh, the apex garment manufacturers’ body of Bangladesh — the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) — has initiated a move to find out the actual status of remediation in the garment manufacturing factories of the country.
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“We have developed a format for updating inspection status and factory owners have been asked to provide information as per that format to the BGMEA,” Vice-President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu reportedly told a Bangladeshi newspaper recently, adding that 45-46 factories have already provided their inspection reports and the other factories would also send in the same in sometime.
“After collecting the inspection status from the factory owners, we would compare the reports with that of the Accord and Alliance to understand the actual picture,” Mahmud reportedly stated.
According to the BGMEA official, the aim of the initiative is to identify the problems facing the factory owners in carrying out the corrective action plans and support them to become compliant.
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It may be mentioned here that Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a platform of European retailers, and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a consortium of North American buyers, which have carried out safety inspections in the garment manufacturing factories of Bangladesh, have been critical of the progress made in remediation work.
Accord is reported to have already terminated business relations with eight garment manufacturing companies in view of their alleged failure to carry out remediation work within the stipulated timeframe, while Alliance suspended 23 factories from its supplier list on similar grounds. Besides, Accord has reportedly also warned more than 120 factories of cutting business relations with them due to slow progress of remediation work while the consortium of North American buyers is said to have cautioned 12 more RMG factories for their failure to make requisite progress.
