Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) industry needs to invest Tk 80 billion to improve compliance and fire safety levels after the recent calamities at Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza, which claimed several lives. Bangladeshi sector has been under pressure from local and international stakeholders including Accord, Alliance, foreign buyers and International Labour Organization (ILO). The Accord and Alliance is formed to closely monitor and ensure factory safety in Bangladesh.
According to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), more than 2500 garment owners including woven and knitwear have agreed to make new investment of Tk 80 billion for fulfilling the compliances and fire safety conditions.
Workers' safety system, fire-fighting equipment, evacuation mechanism, proper installation of machines and healthy work environment are among the social compliance issues demanded by the international companies and organisations. The garment makers are now bound to seriously look into the safety issues for their own survival. According to the BGMEA research cell, nearly 1,857 garment workers have so far died in different tragic accidents from the year 1990 to 2013.
www.bgmea.co.bd
