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Bangladesh has reported significant development achieved in the fields of workplace safety and compliance across its factories at a crucial evaluation meeting of the Sustainability Compact in Brussels.
This was the fourth highlevel follow-up meeting of the Sustainability Compact, titled-‘ Five years after the launch of Sustainability Compact: Taking Stock and Staying Engaged’.
“ The European Union, Canada, and US are important business partners of Bangladesh,” Bangladesh’ s
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Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said during his address at the inaugural session and added,“ The EU is providing GSP facility under the‘ Everything But Arms’ umbrella. Bangladesh is grateful to them for the opportunity.”
“ Because of these facilities, Bangladesh is progressing. Its readymade garments’ industry is flourishing and the workers are being benefited. We hope that buyers will continue to place orders from Bangladesh,” Tofail added.
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“ Bangladesh Government has amended the Labour Act. Now, the workers of Bangladesh are exercising more labour rights than ever. The workers and manufacturers are working together to achieve growth in this sector,” he said. The Sustainability Compact was signed five years ago, between the European Union, the United States, the International Labour Organization( ILO), and Government of Bangladesh in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013. Later, Canada joined in.
According to insiders, at the
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event, progress made under the Compact was discussed as well as to what remains to be done. From Bangladesh’ s side, a 21-member high-powered delegation, comprising of Government officials and business leaders, has attended the meeting, led by Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed. It is to be noted that Bangladesh’ s apparel sector has undertaken massive remediation work in the aftermath of Rana Plaza disaster that has left the industry tangibly transformed. Now, the country boasts of having safest factories in the world. |
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Hirdaramani Group, one of the leading apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka, has collaborated with US outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia for the conservation of subsisting rainforests of Sri Lanka. It is the second time that companies have come together for a shared cause of sustainable fashion and for protecting the beauty of the country.
Under‘ Hiniduma Bio-Link Project’, the first of its kind in the Asian region, more than 4,000 saplings will be planted in the south-west region of Sri Lanka. The project was initiated to connect two geographically separated patches of rainforest ecosystems. The idea is also to enhance the living conditions of the communities living closer to the dense natural forests that are in danger.
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Under‘ Hiniduma Bio- Link Project’, the first of its kind in the Asian region, more than 4,000 saplings will be planted in the south-west region of Sri Lanka. |
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“ Since the fashion industry is the largest polluter in the world, it becomes really important for the brands, retailers, manufacturers, and all the people involved in the supply chains to take a step forward to make the future sustainable,” says Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director, Hirdaramani Group. |
The drive will happen under the co-management of the Conservation Carbon Company and Rainforest Rescue International where most of the technical work will be taken up by the Carbon Consulting Company( CCC) and the University of Sabaragamuwa. Sanith de Silva Wijeyeratne, CEO at the |
Carbon Consulting Company welcomes the move taken upon by Hirdaramani and Patagonia.
In the past, the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturer also embraced greener technologies and processes, set up the world’ s first customised green factory, and Asia’ s first carbon neutral apparel factory
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