This document summarizes the history and present scenario of the garments sector in Bangladesh. It discusses that the garments industry is the largest export industry in Bangladesh, employing millions of workers, mostly women. However, there have been some major accidents, including the Tazreen Fashions fire in 2012 and the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 that killed over 1,100 people. In response, safety measures have been upgraded through agreements between international brands, local factories and unions to improve inspections and standards over five years to help prevent future tragedies and protect workers.
1. ENGLISH PRESENTATION
TOPIC : GARMENTS SECTOR
TEAM MEMBERS
MD. NADER NEHAL (ID-B1405011)
FAIAZ SABABA SAEED ADIBA (ID-B1405023)
M ASHFAQ ALI (ID- B1405092)
SHAKHAWAT REMON (ID-B1405153)
2. HISTORY
• Clothing and textiles have been important in human history and reflects the materials available to a
civilization as well as the technologies that it has mastered.
• Like other 3rd world countries Bangladesh is a developing country. Her economic development
depends firstly on agriculture and secondly on industry.
• Reaz Garments, the pioneer, was established in 1960 as a small tailoring outfit, named Reaz Store in
DHAKA. It served only domestic markets for about 15 years. M/s Reaz Garments Ltd expanded its
operations into export market by selling 10,000 pieces of men's shirts worth French Franc 13 million
to a Paris-based firm in 1978. It was the first direct exporter of garments from Bangladesh.
3. PRESENT SCENARIO
• By 2005 the ready-made garments (RMG) industry was the only multi-billion-dollar manufacturing and
export industry in Bangladesh, accounting for 75 per cent of the country's earnings in that year.
• Bangladesh is now one of the 12 largest apparel exporters of the world, the sixth largest supplier in the US
market and the fifth largest supplier of T-shirts in the EU market.
• Currently, the textile mills provide 70% of national exports.
• Nine out of ten people employed in the industry – are women.
• By IMF estimates, as a result of the abolition of quota exports of Bangladesh will be reduced by 25%.
4. PRESENT SCENARIO
Year Number of Garment Industries Employment in Million
Workers:
1983-84 134 0.040
1988-89 759 0.317
1993-94 1839 0.827
1998-99 2963 1.500
2003-04 3957 2.000
2008-09 4825 3.100
[Source: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA)
5. MAJOR DOWNFALLS
TAZREEN FASHIONS
The 2012 Dhaka fire broke out on 24 November 2012, in the
Tazreen Fashion factory in the Ashulia district on the
outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. At least 117 people were
confirmed dead in the fire, and at least 200 were injured,
making it the deadliest factory fire in the nation's history.
6. MAJOR DOWNFALLS
2013 Savar building collapse ( Rana Plaza)
On 24 April 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial
building, collapsed in Savar, a sub-district in the Greater
Dhaka Area, the capital of Bangladesh. The search for the
dead ended on 13 May with a death toll of
1,129. Approximately 2,515 injured people were rescued
from the building alive.
7. CONSEQUENCES
• Bangladesh was a beneficiary of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP),
which promotes economic growth in developing nations by allowing duty-free
imports. which has been taken away.
• Retailers such as Walmart, Gap and Disney were lobbied to ensure their products were
sourced responsibly from workplaces that adhered to decent standards of worker rights
and safety.
• The orders from the foreign countries are not coming like before, they are going for the
another nearest possible outsourcing.
8. UPGRADED SAFETY MEASURES
• As of June 2014, efforts to improve safety were being coordinated under "an unprecedented comprehensive
"Accord on Fire and Building Safety" ... Around 180 companies - mostly from Europe - international and local
trade unions, Bangladeshi employers, exporters and government are part of this agreement." In addition, a
"Bangladesh Alliance for Worker Safety - an association of 26 American companies including CAP and Wal-
Mart" seeks to address these issues from an entrepreneurial standpoint, without participation of trade
unions. Together the two groups "are responsible for inspecting around 2,100 factories over a period of five
years.“
• BGMEA has given emphasis on safety measures in every garments factory.
9. Recommendations
Based on the research findings, the requirements of safety and health for the garments worker
to be maintained, and followings are recommendations:
Maintenance of standards of cleanliness.
Adequate lighting, ventilation & temperature.
Control of elements hazardous to health like dusts, gases, fumes, etc. associated
with particular operations.
Requirement of certificate of fitness for young persons from certifying surgeons.
Requirement of periodical medical examination for persons engaged in hazardous
operations.
Requirement for making available adequate first-aid facilities.
Requirement of a dispensary manned by a medical practitioner for units employing 500or
more workers.
