Knitwear manufacturers and exporters of Bangladesh are preparing a workers' database. The aim is to keep records of all workers of the country's readymade garment sector. The database would preserve basic information about a worker, including his or her identification, family details, records about the worker's service details including factory and employer, dates of his or her joining or leaving the job and the reasons and also other details.

Bangladesh will introduce a central fund for workers from July 1 in which money will be received from each export order at 0.03 per cent. The database will be necessary for successful implementation of the central fund since the country’s readymade garment sector is export-oriented.

The database registration work may begin in July and be completed by August next. However, it’s doubtful if that will happen. Some 450 to 500 composite units employing thousands of workers might need more time to come under the database system.

The knitwear industry of Bangladesh competes globally in terms of product quality and price through industrial upgradation in terms of latest machinery, vertical integration and industrial agglomeration.

From fiscal year 2007-08 Bangladesh knitwear has captured the lion’s share of national exports. It was 7.64 per cent two decades back but is now around 40 per cent.