Factory compliance still has a long way to go

Bangladesh has improved a lot in compliance in its industries, but there is still a lot to be done for further development, according to a report of AsiaInspection, a quality control and compliance service provider.

The Hong Kong-based firm recently released its inspection findings on Bangladesh and other countries like Vietnam and China.

Bangladesh maintained the gradual upward trend in ethical score and it increased 2.8 percent to 6.7 out of 10 in the past 12 months, according to the report. Factory inspections rose 68 percent in the last one year compared to the previous year.

However, 41.6 percent of factories audited in Asia showed major noncompliance, and 25.9 percent were at serious ethical risk.

Bangladesh met the criteria to be reinstated in the US generalised system of preferences (GSP) trade programme, having lost its membership in 2013, the report added.

After the twin industrial disasters of Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza building collapse, the US government suspended the trade privilege citing serious shortcomings in workplace safety and labour rights.

The Obama administration provided a set of 16 conditions to be fulfilled by the government and the factory owners to get the trade privilege reinstated.

Bangladesh already submitted its progress report to the US government after fulfilling the conditions.

The report said the new legislation is in the works in Bangladesh; the Textile Industries Establishment Act-2015, if passed, will impose heavy fines and imprisonment for textiles or garment factories operating without a licence.

Prosecution of individuals responsible for industrial accidents is also underway. Owners of the Tazreen factory in Dhaka are to stand trial on murder charges, the AI report added.

“This indictment and the murder charges presented earlier this year against Sohel Rana, the owner of the Rana Plaza complex, are among the first times that owners of garment factories are being tried for their role in the death of workers at their facilities.”

The US government will be working with two Bangladeshi banks to extend credit to the inspected factories that have a Corrective Action Plan in place.