On January 13, 2025, a delegation of Workers’ Rights Consortium (WRC) paid a courtesy call on BGMEA Administrator Anwar Hossain at Uttarastha BGMEA Complex.
The delegation included WRC’s Director of International Advocacy, Tulsi Narayanaswamy, Regional Director for South Asia, Monodwip Guha and WRC Representative in Bangladesh, Saikat Mallick.
In the meeting, the BGMEA Administrator briefed the WRC delegation on the current situation of the garment industry in Bangladesh, the industry’s challenges and opportunities, especially how Bangladesh’s garment industry has undergone real transformation in the areas of ensuring workplace safety, improving labor standards and environmental sustainability in recent years.
During the discussion, Anwar Hussain emphasized on rational pricing, which affects the welfare of garment workers, to make the garment industry more sustainable. He said that the cost of production has increased due to various international and local reasons, but the price offered to the buyers does not reflect that reality and rationality.
He said, Bangladesh has already gained appreciation and recognition as a safe and ethical clothing sourcing destination in the world. He urged the WRC leaders to pressurize brands/buyers to improve labor standards and pay reasonable prices.
It is pertinent to mention that in August 2022, the Chittagong-based Bais Textile Ltd. factory was closed down. But the factory authorities did not provide compensation to the affected workers. Later WRC negotiated workers compensation with Cutter & Buck (C&B), the client the factory was working for. And finally on 08 January 2025 compensation was paid to 873 affected workers in the presence of representatives of BGMEA, WRC, Cutter & Buck (C&B), Bangladesh Free Garments Sramik Union Federation (BIGOF) and Bays Textile Ltd.
In the meeting, BGMEA Administrator Anwar Hussain informed the WRC delegation that despite the 23 member companies of BGMEA exporting garments against the agreement with the Australian buyer Mosaic Brands Ltd., the buyer company has not paid nearly US$ 20 million so far. Due to this, the related institutions are deprived of banking facilities and are about to close down. As a result, the workers of the factories are afraid of losing their jobs. He sought the cooperation of WRC in repatriation of this coin in discussion with the said buyer.
The WRC delegation assured the BGMEA Administrator to consider the matter.
