Bangladesh news and archive

Bangladesh apparel industry resumes operations following unrest

Bangladesh has begun to lift restrictions imposed following last week's violent protests, allowing its crucial garment industry to resume operations. The move comes as the country faces mounting economic pressures and concerns over political stability. The government's decision to partially ease a nationwide curfew on July 24 permitted the...

Business

AAFA calls on Bangladesh to stop 'threats' to garment workers

American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has called for an end to "the threats and crackdown on garment workers in Bangladesh" in an open letter addressed to the president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA). In recent months, the protesters have been protesting against one of the lowest wages in the world,...

Business

Denim Expert aims for 100 percent wastewater recycling with new effluent treatment plant

Denim manufacturer and exporter Denim Expert Ltd. has announced a new, state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant at its factory in Chittagong, Bangladesh to achieve its goal of 100 percent wastewater recycling and zero discharge of hazardous chemicals, ultimately aligning with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Wastewater...

Fashion

Garment workers among the lowest-paid industrial workers globally

A decade after global fashion brands committed to raising garment workers' wages to a living wage, progress remains slow. In Bangladesh, where around 600,000 people work for H&M, workers earned an average of 119 dollars per month in the first half of 2023, below the 194 dollars living-wage benchmark, reported the Wall Street Journal. Advocates...

BusinessFeatured

Thousands laid off over protests against minimum wage in Bangladesh textile industry

Garment workers in Bangladesh have been protesting for higher pay since October, with dire consequences. FashionUnited contacted the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) about the latest status, as thousands of workers have now reportedly been laid off. "It is not quite clear yet but union leaders in Bangladesh assume that around 3,000 to 4,000 workers...

Business

Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and Fashion for Good to advance chemical textile recycling

Last week, non-profit Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) organised a roadshow in collaboration with global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good to pave the way for chemical recycling of textiles in the country. It was supported by two tech start-ups, Circ and Infinited Fiber Company, which specialise in chemical textile-to-textile...

How (not) sustainable is the fashion industry?

Fashion and 'sustainability' don't actually go together. A garment is usually made in such a way that it quickly goes out of fashion. In the fashion industry there is not only stylistic obsolescence, but also technical obsolescence. Some clothing is of such low quality that it tears, pills or loses its colour after a few wears and washes. Ideal...

BusinessFeatured

H&M to increase unit prices for suppliers in Bangladesh

Swedish fast fashion giant H&M is understood to have told its suppliers in Bangladesh that it would be upping its unit prices following the recently announced minimum wage increase for garment workers in the region. The company reportedly said that it would “absorb the increase in wages” in its product prices, becoming one of the first retailers...

People

US government urges Bangladesh to reconsider minimum wage increase

The United States has urged Bangladesh to reconsider its recent decision on the minimum wage and ensure the protection of workers' rights following the death of a woman during garment labour protests. A government-appointed panel increased factory wages by 56.25 percent to 12,500 taka ( approximately 113 dollars) per month, but striking workers...

EventPress Release

Country to double denim export by 2030 to achieve $100b apparel export

Speakers at the inaugural ceremony of 15th Bangladesh Denim Expo said that Bangladesh needs to double its denim export to achieve US$ 100 billion export target by 2030 that fixed by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) early this year. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, MP, said “Bangladesh is the 2nd largest apparel...

Business

What the new minimum wage means for garment workers in Bangladesh

On Tuesday, 8 November 2023, the Bangladeshi government announced the new minimum wage for garment workers: from December, they will receive 12,500 taka (around 114 US dollars) instead of the previous 8,000 taka (68 US dollars). At first glance, the increase seems to be okay, as it is up by 56 percent. However, if one compares the monthly...

Business

Minimum wage for textile workers in Bangladesh up, but far below union demands

Textile workers in Bangladesh must earn at least 12,500 taka per month from the government, according to media reports. It is over 50 percent higher than the current minimum wage, but well below the unions' demand for 23,000 taka. The latter amount would be needed for a living wage in Bangladesh. The current minimum wage for textile workers is...