Bangladesh is building “garment villages” to double its already-huge clothing exports
The rapid growth of Bangladesh’s garment industry has been a blessing and a burden to the country.
So invaluable is the industry to Bangladesh that the country is doubling down on the business, despite the repercussions. Already the world’s second largest exporter of clothing by some estimates,
Bangladesh intends to double its apparel exports to $50 billion by 2021.
Bangladesh commerce minister, Tofail Ahmed, announced the plan last week, including the
creation of a “garment village” in the southeastern port city of Chittagong—a major export hub—to help the country hit its goal.
That village follows on one already under construction in the city of Bausia, being funded by a state-owned Chinese firm. The Bausia village is expected to house more than 200 factories and contribute up to $5 billion in export value.
Bangladesh wants to double its clothing exports by 2021
Currently factories in these cities tend to be spread around in an unplanned manner, which makes them hard to monitor, and they can spring up wherever space is available, including in decrepit, unsafe buildings. In Bausia, factories that don’t currently comply with regulations will be moved to the villages, where workplace, health, and fire safety regulations can be enforced. Plans for the Bausia village even include facilities for medical treatment, proper waste disposal, and day care, which is critical given that about 80% of Bangladesh’s garment workers are women, and they tend to be entirely responsible for child care.
Government plans for a garment village have apparently been floating around since as early as 2005.
The US, which is the largest importer of garments from Bangladesh, has thrown its support behind the country’s target of doubling exports and the Chittagong plan. Marcia Bernicat, the US ambassador to Bangladesh, called it “an ambitious, but very possible goal” and said it demonstrates “that business success goes hand-in-hand with workers’ rights and safety.” The US will reportedly join with two Bangladeshi banks in offering a $22 million credit guarantee on loans to help improve safety in garment factories.
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