Industry Context
Bangladesh's apparel sector has made real progress on fire and structural safety since 2013, but protection is uneven. Smaller, subcontracted and informal factories sit outside most buyer-led inspection programmes, and their workers carry most of the remaining risk.
Scope & Method
The brief covers physical safety, occupational health, grievance mechanisms, maternity and childcare, and climate-displaced workers. Findings draw on:
- A survey of 1,200 workers across Dhaka, Gazipur and Chattogram.
- Interviews with factory managers, union leaders and buyers.
- A review of inspection data published since 2013.
What We Found
Heat exposure, poor drainage and long, unsafe commutes affect workers' health and productivity. Digital grievance tools risk excluding many women: only 28% of women garment workers own a smartphone.
Safety gains since 2013 are real, but they stop at the gate of the factories that buyers do not inspect.
Recommendations
- Strengthen enforcement and link buyer support directly to factory remediation.
- Make grievance systems accessible offline, and invest in community childcare, shared transport and climate resilience funds.
