Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine September Issue 2018 | Page 10

MINDTREE
Q-and-A
As per reports, Accord and Alliance would leave Bangladesh by the end of 2018. Are you happy
with this development? Do you think the exit of these buyers’ bodies would lead to business and
operational ease or will it have adverse business implications upon the industry considering that both
have been formed by global buyers?
Imranur Rahman
Managing Director, Bando Designs Ltd. Syed Naved Husain
Group Director & CEO, Beximco Limited
I don’t think moving out of the buyers’ bodies would have much of an
impact. When one is working with big names, one has to abide by
certain rules as all the buyers have certain standards in terms of safety
and security that have to be maintained by the supplier factories. Accord and Alliance ought to have common codes, in absence of which
there has been lot of clash of interests. What I feel, the Government
needs to have its own set of codes and regulations when it comes to
remediation and workplace safety, and to be honest, our Government
has done a wonderful job in the direction of making the industry a safer
place since the Rana Plaza incident.
Buyers’ bodies like Accord and Alliance just added to that list of dos and
don’ts. The brands/retailers are well aware of what new guidelines have
been imposed by these buyers’ platforms and all they need to do is to
check and confirm if a factory is abiding by the same while doing an
audit, which again all the buyers carry out before placing any order.
Today, all the big buyers have their own audit teams while others do the
audits through third-party.
Mainuddin Ahmed
Director, Anowara Group
Accord and Alliance have different ways of working, and for the same
cause, so there is a conflict of interest. The biggest issue that we are
facing today is the lack of standardised compliance codes. There are
different entities and each has its own standards and specifications,
so factories need a standardised policy that would be same for all
the platforms.
From my personal viewpoint, the changes that have been brought
about by Accord and Alliance, especially in the aftermath of Rana Plaza
incident, were very much needed.
Now that there are talks about the buyers’ bodies planning to leave the
country, I have my doubts if the Government-initiated monitoring system
that would take over from Accord and Alliance would be able to work as
efficiently and fluidly as they did.
At this moment, a lot of investment has gone in towards compliance
which is in keeping with the business practices of the current time.
From buyers to retailers to end users, all are aware of the compliance
requirements, and one cannot run a business successfully if one is
not compliant.
Given the present circumstances, I don’t think one needs to have an
Accord or Alliance to impose things on factories as manufacturers
on their own are aware of the need for compliance to make business
sustainable.
Brigadier General Aftab Uddin Ahmed (Retd.)
CEO, CEBAI
I don’t think leaving of the buyers’ bodies would have any business
implications as such for the industry.
First of all, in the last few years, Bangladesh has achieved the goals
towards safer workplace, besides the buyers’ bodies would hand
over charge to entity/entities, which in a way would be the buyers’
representatives only.
As such, I therefore see no reason why their leaving would have any
ramifications on the industry.
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Mir Gulzar-A-Alam
CEO, Western Fashion Tex & Sourcing
These days, the industry is more than aware of workplace safety,
thanks to counselling and strong buyers’ demands.
Alliance has no mor