The supply chain in Bangladesh lacks transparency in pricing. Buyers don’t want to share how much they pay and producers don’t share how much they charge. Even if brands don’t pay the cost price, producers meekly give in. Therefore, if producers in the country were to share their experience of brands with the outside world, brands may start taking them seriously.

After the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that evoked worldwide factory safety concerns, development partners particularly the European Union countries and the US joined efforts to improve factory safety conditions. Progress has been made since then. New inspection systems allow all export factories to be inspected and the most dangerous factories have closed down. Consumers are becoming more and more alert and aware and are willing to pay more for clothing which is not tainted with blood.

However, a lot still needs to be done to make the industry truly safe and sustainable. Everyone wants corporate social responsibility, but that calls for considerable investment, which is a problem. Effective cooperation between producers and buyers is hampered by unreasonably short delivery deadlines, regular late cancellation of orders, and lack of transparency and lack of trust.