Bangladesh

A growing number of international observers are concerned that tensions may be growing between the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. This comes after the Accord released a statement saying that it would not accept inspection reports conducted by the Alliance because they do not meet the Accord’s standards. Officials with the Alliance have so far not responded to the statement. (New Age BD)

Several global fashion brands have come under fire after reportedly failing to contribute to an ILO-created fund designed to help victims of last year’s Rana Plaza collapse. According to Business of Fashion, as of August 4, the fund has only collected US$17.9 billion of an estimated US$40 billion it needs to settle claims. Experts say that the fund never included an enforcement mechanism for payments, however. (Business of Fashion)

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed says that less than 2% of the country’s garment factories are risky, a number which is much higher in competing countries according to him. During a recent event at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), the minister also noted that he believes that there is a conspiracy taking place aimed at tarnishing the long-term reputation of the country’s burgeoning garment industry and that things are not as bad as they are being reported. (BSS News)

A group of diplomatic officials who recently visited Dhaka from the United States say that union leaders and garment factory security personnel need more formal training in order to carry out their duties better. The group, which consisted of representatives of the U.S. Trade Representative, noted that a comprehensive training program would greatly augment their ability to protect union leaders and ensure that the right of workers to organize is not infringed upon. The Financial Express)

Bangladeshi exports to China and India are currently on a sharp, upward trend while those to the United States are actually declining. According to the Export Promotion Bureau, exports to China and India grew by 53.88% and 13.32% year-on-year respectively in July, while U.S. sales fell by 14.22% in the same period. Experts with the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies say that safety and compliance issues are the primary cause of the drop in exports to the United States while rising domestic industry costs in China were driving exports to that country up. (New Age BD)