July 2023

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are today the guiding forces for business growth and Bangladesh garment makers have recognised their significance rightly.

Having made their mark already in the realm of green manufacturing, they are now taking significant steps in terms of social compliance and workers’ welfare, which are considered the key pillars of CSR.

Bangladesh’s efforts are validated by the 2022 Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study conducted by the United States Fashion Industry Association, US fashion brands and buyers, who perceive lower social and labour compliance risks in sourcing apparel from Bangladesh as the rating of the country has registered an improvement.

Bangladesh has moved from 2.0 in the past few years to 2.5 in 2022, reflecting the fashion companies’ acknowledgment of continued efforts to improve social responsibility.

From Echotex, Shin Shin Group, Crony Group to MBM Group and scores of others have incorporated the spirit of CSR in their DNA, which is amply reflected in the various endeavours undertaken by them in terms of CSR.

In this edition’s Cover Story, we present to you the various facets of CSR and its evolving dynamics and how Bangladesh garment industry is making the best of it for all-round growth and development!