Bangladesh Accord news and archive

Almost 100 brands sign new International Accord

The International Accord, an international agreement on health and safety in the textile and garment industry, celebrated its tenth anniversary at the end of last year. What began as the Bangladesh Accord in 2013 became the Transition Accord 2018 five years later, and was signed by more than 190 brands and retailers as well as global trade...

Business

Bangladesh and Pakistan clothing agreements extended for six years

The International Accord on Health and Safety has been extended. The accord covers manufacturing countries Bangladesh and Pakistan and includes agreements on safety in garment factories. The agreement was due to expire on 31 October, but after negotiations, the deadline was extended, with a three-year period and an automatic three-year extension...

BusinessFeatured

Rana Plaza - ten years later

How many times have we rolled our eyes when there was an emergency drill, maybe at school, work or college? Happening at the most inopportune times (just like a real emergency) - we may get up grudgingly, follow a dedicated co-worker or fellow student to an emergency meeting point and from there to the nearest exit. Grumbling about the...

Business

Brands accused of still blocking worker safety improvements 10 years after Ali Enterprises fire in Pakistan

In a press release on the tenth anniversary of the devastating fire at Ali Enterprises in Pakistan that killed 250 people, international NGO Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has accused the textile industry of not doing enough to improve standards despite numerous accidents, some of them fatal, in Pakistan's textile factories. In particular, fashion...

BusinessFeatured

Retailers and unions agree on new, expanded Bangladesh Accord

A legally binding pact set up in 2013 to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi garment factory workers has been extended by two years. A representation of international textile retailers and the global trade union signatories to the former Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh announced Wednesday they have agreed to continue legally...

Business|INTERVIEW Featured

Bangladesh: "Our garment industry is one of the safest in the world today"

Faruque Hassan is the new president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Association (BGMEA). The country has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, and with the looming expiration of the Bangladesh Accord, a new tug-of-war has begun between brands, factories, unions and NGOs over responsibilities and accountability for the health and safety...

Business

Bangladesh Accord extended by three months

The Bangladesh on Fire and Building Safety Accord, which was set to expire on May 31 2021, has been extended for another three months. The accord is a legally binding pact signed by more than 200 fashion companies that aims to improve factory safety for workers following the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse which resulted in the deaths of over...

Fashion

Just one in eight Bangladesh garment factories pass international safety inspection

The president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said that only 200 out of 1,500 garment factories in the country have met safety requirements for workers set out by an international accord, Reuters reports. According to the news organisation, Rubana Huq accused members of the accord on Sunday of...

Business

Garment unions and Clean Clothes Campaign concerned about deal on Bangladesh Accord

Trade union leaders are not pleased with the announcement that the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety is supposed to leave the country in less than a year. The Bangladesh Accord shall be replaced in 281 days by another entity called RMC Sustainability Council (RSC), to be governed by a board comprising representatives of the...

BusinessFeatured

It’s over: Bangladesh Accord finally comes to a transition agreement

After months of delays and uncertainty, the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety has finally struck a deal with the Bangladesh Garment Employers Association (BGMEA), closing what seemed to be a never-ending battle concerning the future of its operations in the country. A memorandum of understanding written by the two entities and...

Business

Decision on the future of Bangladesh Accord delayed for the 7th time

We’re going to have to wait a few more days to know what the future holds for the Bangladesh Accord, the independent organization set up by more than 200 fashion companies operating in Bangladesh, which conducts safety inspections in garment factories since the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013. The Supreme Court of Bangladesh delayed for the...

BusinessFeatured

Local government not ready to take over Bangladesh Accord’s responsibilities

Bangladesh’s safety inspection agencies are not ready to assume responsibility for the 1,688 garment factories under the purview of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, according to a report published this week by the Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Labor Rights Forum, the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Worker Rights...