The Issue:

Our focus for this year is the issue of garments workers safety and working condition and the future of the industry in Bangladesh. As you are aware, the garments sector in Bangladesh is among the most competitive in the world, and it has contributed enormously to the economic growth of the country in the last 20 years. Moreover, it has provided employment to nearly 2 million people in over 3,000 factories.

This success has been made possible by the patronage of companies such as yours, which have stepped forward and provided Bangladeshi garments a niche in the global marketplace. The European market is of considerable significance to the RMG sector in Bangladesh particularly now inthe post MFA period.

However, this success has come at a price. Lack of awareness on safety issue, certain purchasing practices by the buyers, overall vision on the future of the industry and lack of monitoring are cited as reasons among others for contributing to a unacceptable working condition and dismal accident history. Whatever the reason, there is a real human cost to ignoring this issue. We, at Drishtipat, believe that installing the basic safety measures do not threaten the competitiveness of the sector; indeed it may even help us in terms of credibility in a global trading environment where Fair Trade is an increasingly important consideration to Western consumers. Its imperative that all stakeholders realise that social and environmental compliance is one of the keys to the very survival of the industry in the future.

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If you'd like to work with us, please email us at info@london.drishtipat.org and come attend the general meeting to share your enthusiasm, ideas and spirit!