Sourcing from Bangladesh to increase after safety strides

Buyers are ready to increase sourcing apparel products from Bangladesh because of its massive improvements in fortifying safe workplace at the garment sector, US-based global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories, VF Corporation, has said.

“The sector is strong, the business is coming, the factories are safer and giving the good factories more business,” said Sean Cady, Vice-President (global supply chain & responsible sourcing) of the VF Services, LLC, at a press conference in Dhaka on July 22, 2018.

“Bangladesh’s RMG has transformed over the last five years. It is now one of the safest places for workers. If you look at our sourcing in Bangladesh, we source from less factories in Bangladesh compared to five years ago. But our sourcing volume has increased,” Cady said.

“If you look at the export from the RMG sector of Bangladesh, export has increased, but the number of factories has decreased. That means business is coming to better factories because of the work done by Alliance, Accord, and International Action Plan,” he added.

He was addressing a press conference arranged by Alliance, the platform of North American retailers and brands for factory inspection and remediation in Bangladesh.

Jim Moriarty, Executive Director of Alliance, said, “Through the efforts of Alliance, Accord and the factory owners, Bangladesh has changed from one of the most dangerous garment manufacturing industry in the world into one of the safest. That is the transformation that we can all be proud of.”

Accord and Alliance, two platforms of western retailers and brands formed five years ago for factory remediation works, following some devastating disasters like the Rana Plaza Collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire, will be leaving Bangladesh as their term has ended.

Bangladesh Government has underlined that their tenure will not be extended. With them gone, the factory remediation and inspection will be taken up by a central Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC). Both the platforms will be handing over their work to the RCC.