Bangladesh

Environmental regulators in Bangladesh have fined 4 washing factories for damaging the environment by releasing unrefined liquid waste into a nearby river designated as an environmentally-sensitive area. The 4 factories were closed and sealed earlier this month by regulators who said the facilities were operating without effluent treatment plants.(Bangla News 24)

The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) says that it has completed its “Global Buyers Information Directory” which is aimed at helping the RMG sector to expand its market. The 1,000 page directory contains information on over 20,000 buyers located in 160 countries around the world and also provides guidance on various global tariff policies. (Fibre2Fashion)

City Bank has partnered with Innovations for Poverty Action, a U.S.-based NGO, on a new research project to analyze the benefits of an electronic wage payment system for garment workers. The project will look at whether or not electronic payments can provide easier access to the financial system for garment workers as well as if paying wages electronically has any effect on worker productivity. To facilitate the effort, City Bank has opened accounts for garment workers and has placed no-charge ATMs in several garment factories. (The Daily Star)