The Ready Made clothing industry acts as the backbone and as a catalyst for the development of Bangladesh. The “Made in Bangladesh” label also brought glory for that country and made it a famous brand around the world. The industry and its economy that make important contributions to the reconstruction of the country are not currently unless the Readymade Garments Industry, which is the greatest export air for Bangladesh.

2. Introduction:
The Ready Made clothing industry acts as the backbone and as a catalyst for the development
of Bangladesh. The “Made in Bangladesh” label also brought glory for that country and made it
a famous brand around the world. The industry and its economy that make important
contributions to the reconstruction of the country are not currently unless the Readymade
Garments Industry, which is the greatest export air for Bangladesh. RMG sector creates a
generous job opportunity and contributes significantly to the national economy by reducing
poverty through social and economic development. The Bangladesh clothing industry has
begun a trip in the 1980s and has reached todays position. Bangladesh has experienced actual
pulses in the RMG sector between the mid 1980’s and mid 1990’s (Robbani, 2000). The
repentance of NuroolQuader Khan was a pioneer on the client of the savior of Bangladesh. He
had a vision of how to change the country. 130 trainees were sent to South Korea in 1978 to
learn how to produce readymade garments. He set up the first factory named “Desh Garments”
with those 130 trainees to produce garments for export.At the same time, the late Akhter
Mohammad Musa of Bond garments, the late Mohammad Reazuddin of Reaz garments,
MdHumayun of Paris garments, Engineer Mohammad FazlulAzim of Azim group, Major Abdul
Mannan of Sunman group, M shamsurRahman of stylecraft limited, the first president of
BGMEA, AM Subid Ali of Aristocrat limited also introduced a part of the first clothing factory in
Bangladesh. Following the track, other prudent entrepreneurs and workers launched RMG
factories in the country. Since then, readymade garment industry does not have to look behind.
The RMG industry offers work of more than 4 million people and has 83% of the country’s total
import stock. The number of female worker is more than male workers.

3. The department of clothing offers employment opportunities for women in rural areas where
there was no opportunity to be part of the formal workforce. This industry has provided for
women the largest opportunities in this industrial sector where more than 85 percent of the
production workers are women (Islam and Zahid, 2012). The socio economic status of these
RMG workers in Bangladesh is not good. We have found that women are doing work on an
average 11.12 hours/day in the garment factory but unfortunately they receive average salary
less than Tk. 7000 per month. They have to maintain a very critical life because of having less
salary as it is very hard to maintain their own and family expenses with this low salary. These
industries don’t chose female workers only because these poor unskilled women have few
alternatives and no better employment but also because they are more valuable, docile and
manageable than male workers. They accept without protest the flexible terms of employment
and are also seen less likely to be organized and susceptible to “anti-management propaganda”
from outside (Khan 2001).Though male workers are being paid more than female workers but
even they are not being paid enough. The increases in food and prices of essential elements
have obtained difficult situations of RMG workers. Low salaries have a disastrous impact on the
lives of RMG workers. The irregular salary and the sudden closure of the plant made the
workers life hell. The salary is usually given in the center of the month by the employer. As a
result there is a continuous hand in his sector. Recently, this anxiety has increased, the dilemma
of Bangladesh is very important. In addition, very often, there are serious accidents in the
sector due to violation of the industrial health code and health (Majumdar,2002).Also
sometimes there is a notice in the gate that informs the workers that the factory is closed until
further notice comes. It also stops the earning of the RMG worker and forced them to lead a

4. miserable life. It is generally perceived by workers in this field that socioeconomic status is not
even at the subsistence level (Absar,2001).Moreover, the wage discrimination between male
and female workers is high in garment industry and the workers become frustrated because of
this reason.
Literature Review:
The literature review shows that the socio- economic status of RMG worker in Bangladesh is
related with a number of factors.Sujahangirand Mehedi (2014) found that the RMG industry is
considered as the backbone of the country’s economy while it plays great role for many
people’s socio economic well -being at the back door. Workers work with an average of 11.12
hours/day in RMG industry, but receives an average wage below 7000 per month. It can be
noted that they have to maintain a very critical life for their own and family expenses, as with
the little amount of money from the job they cannot fulfill their own and family’s all need.
Nazrul and Bari (2016) suggests that housing, water and sanitation conditions, medical facilities
and first aid treatment, wages, social status, adaption of cultural values and norms, attachment
with labor unions, ownership arrangement, leave with pay and overtime are significantly
related to the socio economic status of the garments workers of Bangladesh. This study
recommend that the measures for improving the socio economic status of the workers are
related to the improvement of their housing conditions, education, health and sanitation and
the favorable service rules for the workers. Kumar (2006) noticed that garment workers are
concerned with long working hours or double consecutive shifts, personally unsafe work
environment, poor working conditions, wage and gender discrimination. Indeed, employs treat
the RMG workers as slaves, exploiting workers to increase their profit margins and keep their
industry competitive in the face of increasing international competition. Khan et al. (2010)
identified that standard of living and the deposit in bank are the important factors related to
the social status of the garment workers. Bhuiyan (2012) identified that the standard of living,
education, transportation, housing and accommodation, recreation, social status, income and
job security are the socio economic factors influence by the involvement with the readymade
garment companies of Bangladesh.
Methodology:
The study has made on descriptive research, is conducted to identify different dimension of
challenges in readymade garment industry in Bangladesh. To come up with the result,
researchers were not required to visit the factory. For this reason, researchers have ignored the
direct data collections and surveys. Consequently, the research technique has relied based on

5. information from secondary sources. Those data collected through Journals, Research articles,
Thesis paper, newspaper case studies, online news paper and survey reports, garments
Manufacturing Industries Annual reports, BGMEA Yearly report and Files. The data was
collected basically through skimming ad scanning out the findings of different secondary
source. After the completion of the data collection descriptive analysis was used illustrate the
data. This study did not use any unethical means to collect information.
Result and Discussion:
Bangladesh is a central area of the RMG industry achieved by the Bangladeshi RMG worker, for
which they have to spend not only their time, labor but also their valued lives indeed. The poor
workers have grown up the mercury of the GDP of the country, which resulted the
development of the country not only economically but also in socioeconomic aspect. Presently
the garments workers are socioeconomic status can be describe as follows:
(1) Their income
(2) Job security
(3) Their accommodation
(4) Education of themselves and their children
(5) Their savings, bank deposit
(6) Their Recreation
(7) Their culture
(8) Social status
Their Income:
The garments workers are working very hard to earn their daily food. They work from dawn
to midnight to the owners for their little amount of wages. Sometimes, during emergency
shipment they have to work more than 24 hours without getting rest (they get breaks for
their snacks, which are arranged by the authority). Of course they are still ill paid,
notwithstanding the different revolutions for various times. There was a huge movement in
the garments industry in 2006, where a lot of factories were gutted, vandalized the
infrastructures for their various points of demand. The first demand among those was to
given at least 3000 TK at entry level. Later the government had decided to given 2200 Tk.
Per month but the BGMEA did not become agree to that and decided to give only Tk.1667
per month by a trilateral agreement (BGMEA, Bangladesh Govt. & Labor Union of Garment
workers) which is final to concluding the movement so far.
It can be found by questioning the RMG worker that some workers are not even getting this
amount of money from the garment owners. These owners sometimes force the workers to
work in the holidays but don’t pay extra the workers for this. In fact, the workers are not

6. getting their each month’s salary. They are being paid one month later by showing different
causes from the factory. Again, the female workers are not getting the same amount of
money of male workers (Absar, 2001)
In this photo, tire burns on a road in Ashulia while readymade garment workers protest the
disparity in the new wage structure. Workers first signed in at their workplaces before taking to
the streets for the eighth day.
Job Security:
The workers in RMG industry have no permanent jobs. Their jobs have no security. They may be
suspend, demotion, transferred even sacked from the company anytime without any reason. It
can be shown that during the recruitment process the female garment workers don not receive
job contract papers (Absar, 2002).Though there is a rules of given one month’s salary to
employee if he/she is fired from the company without any reason. But most of the companies
don’t follow this government rule. This rule of BGMEA is being followed by very few companies.
The accommodation of garment workers:
All of the garment workers are helpless. They are not well dressed. After buying necessaries
foods for them and their families they can hardly spend for their accommodation. They cannot
be a chooser rather live in an area only or stay alive. Most of the time it can be seen that the
workers live in the rented slums, where the room is too small for living, roofing by corrugated
iron sheet or other thatching material. These workers have to use a common unhygienic bath.
Only one kitchen is using there for 8 to 10 family. There are always the problems of shortage of
water, crude electricity line in the slum. They always have to face the shortage of water, crude
electricity line etc. For each of the room the workers have to pay TK 1800 monthly. It can be
also seen that female workers always have to face problems in finding accommodation when

7. they migrate from rural to urban areas in order to find jobs in the garment industry (Absar,
2002).
Education of the garment workers and their children:
The garment workers are in low profile regarding the academic education. Most of the workers
can’t write anything except their names and addresses. Most of the children of the RMG worker
have to leave education because they cannot bear the educational expenses. Many of the RMG
workers think that they will have to give a huge amount of money as dowry in their female
children’s wedding. So they don’t want to spend money in educating their daughter.
It is found that the job opportunities in the garment sector can be regarded as a significant
reason for the spread of basic education like primary and secondary schooling among the rural
poor female children (Hossain, 2012:25-27). Now- a- days, garments are demanding for basic
education from the workers for giving a job in the garments sector, (Hossain, 2012). For which
female workers are getting chance of being educated.
We can see from a graph that out of 87% garment workers children who are going to school or
other institutes, 73% of there are in the primary level, 19% are in the high school and only 8%
have crossed the SSC and none was found HSC passed or above.
Source: semanticscholar.org
Their savings and Bank deposit:

8. Garment workers are not well enough as they can hardly accomplish their needs by their
earnings. They are always in the debit account. Nonetheless, we have some workers are VO
members of the NGO’s. They deposit their savings in that organizations. 41% workers are
VO members of those NGO’s. Most of them are female. They also draw loan with the very
high rate of interest from those NGO’s.More than 45% workers have insurance policies like
life insurance, Pension Bima, Marriage Bima (Insurance for the children which will be helpful
in the marriage for the same in future.)More than 45% workers have insurance policies like
life insurance, Pension Bima, Marriage Bima (Insurance for the children which will be helpful
in the marriage for the same in future. More than 45% workers have insurance like life
insurance, pension Bima, Marriage Bima(Inusrance for the children which will be helpful in
the marriage for the same in future).
Their recreation:
Every human needs amusement in their leisure time, to refresh the mind, to work
productivity is the ultimate goal. But a garment worker can hardly manage time to have the
amusement. A handbook on the Bangladesh Labor act, 2006 states that “An adult worker
employed in an industrial establishment shall be allowed one day holiday in a week” ( A
Handbook on the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006:56).But sometimes the female workers have
to work even in their holidays due to extra work (Khatun et al., 2008). When both husband
and wife are garment worker in different garment they have to face some difficulties
regarding the holidays (For example Husband’s holiday is in Saturday but wife getting the
same in Friday) for which they can’t enjoy themselves as they like to do. It can be seen that
they wear colorful dresses in various national days like PohelaBaishakh, 16 December etc.
Some factory owners arrange for an annual picnic where these workers enjoy different
cultural programs and indoor games.
In our survey there was a question common to all “Which types of recreation do you like?”
From the answer we found that 46% of them like to enjoy Cinema, 39% like to go outside,
9% like shopping, 3% like to sleep and 3% have no special recreation plan. They like to
gossip with neighbors.

9. Source: researchgate.net
Their culture and social status:
It will not be an exaggeration to say a custom namely “Garments Culture” because
garments industrialization is the lifeblood of economy of Bangladesh. The garments people
have no time for amusement and they are always in rush. They are doing restless work from
dawn to midnight to make fabulous growth in our wealth. They mix within themselves.
Most of them get marriage with garment workers (Shikder, 2002). They wear colorful
cloths. Mainly they prefer cheap cotton cloth to avert sweating due to longstanding working
inside the factories.
They suffer from various diseases including malnutrition. Still they are ill paid. On the other
hand, they are not paying regularly. It can be seen that some of the factories are maintain
government rules but some factories are not maintaining these rules. There was a chaos in
2006 which caused a lot of causalities and damage of garment assets, goodwill in home and
abroad.
We have found in a survey that, 68% of the garment workers have got marriage garment
workers whereas 27% of them work in the same factory or industries.

10. Source: www. researchget.net
Recommendation:
Though RMG industry is the largest industry of Bangladesh, but the socio economic status of
the worker of this industry is not good. They have to lead a very critical life. Some
recommendations are given below which will help them to lead a standard life:
(1) Housing, water, hygiene facilities, medical facilities, emergency assistance, salary,
productivity, social status, cultural value and standard adaptation, qualification, social
status, standard financial factor union, paying and overtime licenses are quite linked to
RMG workers socio economic position in Bangladesh. If these factors are improved,
workers socio economic status is improved in Bangladesh.
(2) The RMG workers are faced with the problems of getting salary in time. So, it has to be
sure that they get their salaries in time.
(3) Most of the workers working in RMG industry are concerned about their future, as they
cannot save so much because they don’t get enough money from their jobs. So, they
should be paid enough money to let them living a standard life.
(4) Their housing and transportation facilities should be provided by the respective owner.
(5) Regularly long working hours and overtime hours create many problems in their families
and health. So, their working time must be minimized by increasing normal salary.
(6) A portion of their salary should be saved in the account by the owner.
(7) Actions should be taken against the guilty supervisors for their misbehavior.

11. Conclusion:
RMG sector has already recognized as the most important economic strength of Bangladesh
which is contributing three fourth of export earnings and where over 4 million peoples are
working. This industry acts a backbone of our country. But it is sad to see that the workers of
this largest exporting sector cannot get the chance of leading a standard life. They cannot fulfill
their basic needs with their little salary. These workers are important aspects of RMG industry.
They daily works 8 hours and sometimes even more so that the order of the RMG industry can
be fulfilled and it can be export. Because of their hardworking RMG industries are being able to
improve. So, the RMG workers deserve a better standard life where they can fulfill all their
needs. The government and owners of the RMG industries in Bangladesh should take necessary
steps for giving them a standard life.
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