Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh has granted permission to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety to continue operating in the country beyond May of 2018. This comes just weeks after a Bangladesh court denied the Accord permission to continue its work because it said the group had not sought proper government approval to do so. The Accord says it intends to continue its work in the country until such time that local groups have “full capacity to inspect factories, compel remedies, and protect workers.” (Fibre2Fashion)
 
An ongoing gas shortage in Bangladesh has hampered the production of over 350 factories in Gazipur, Ashulia, Savar, and Kashimpur. The crisis ignited following the failure of two wells in the Shahjibazar Gas Field in Brahmanbaria. Factory owners and operators say the crisis is affecting their productivity and ability meet delivery deadlines, with some resorting to expensive air freight to meet their promises to customers. (The Daily Star)