Partners of ‘Bangladesh Sustainability Compact’ sat more needs to be done in ensuring labour rights and trade union rights to overhaul the sector as it faced a severe blow because of Rana Plaza collapse in 2013. During the second follow-up meeting of the Sustanablitiy Compact in Dhaka, they also acknowledged the importance of brands and retailers to adopt practices that promote responsible business conduct in global supply chains, and encouraged them to adopt an uniform code of conduct for factory audits in Bangladesh.

Sustainability Compact is a partnership between the Bangladesh government, the European Union, the United States and ILO, to take the stock of progress in its implementation since its last meeting. The partners recognised further the progress made by Bangladesh since the last follow-up meeting towards meaningful and sustainable changes in the RMG industry in Bangladesh, said a joint statement issued after the meeting.

The meeting appreciated the recent promulgation of implementing rules under the Bangladesh Labour Act, the near completion of initial safety audits by the government and hundreds of RMG factories, the launch of ‘Better Work Bangladesh’ programme with ILO/IFC and the continuation of efforts to improve the capacity of the some organisations like DIFE, Fire Service and Civil Defence Department, Rajuk, through increase in staff and budgetary allocations.