The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is deeply saddened by news of a fire that broke out Thursday at a footwear factory in the Alubazar of Bangshal in Dhaka. One worker died, and two were injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy.

We urge the government of Bangladesh to fully implement the National Action Plan commitments to improve factory safety across all industries in Bangladesh. The Alliance is working to ensure that factories from which our Members source meet strict inspection standards and provide a safe working environment free of structural, electrical and fire-related hazards. All factory workers in Bangladesh should be protected; not just those covered by brand-led safety initiatives.

December marks busy month of factory remediation progress and accountability measures

DHAKA, Bangladesh—The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that during the month of December, four additional Alliance-affiliated factories completed all material components outlined in their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), bringing the total number of graduated factories to 50.

Factories achieving substantial completion of their CAPs in December include Arrow Jeans (Pvt) Ltd, LCB International (BD) Limited, Smart Jeans Ltd, and That’s It Sweater Ltd. Smart Jeans Ltd is the first Alliance-affiliated factory to complete required remediation after being suspended and subsequently reactivated.

We are deeply troubled by reports of the detention and interrogation of nearly a dozen labor rights leaders by the Bangladesh government. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety strongly supports the rights of workers to organize in accordance with the laws of Bangladesh. Our Member Agreement formally asserts the right of workers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions, and we support and encourage the right of workers to unionize in Alliance-affiliated factories.

We consult closely with our Board Labor Committee—comprised of five trade union leaders—on all matters related directly to workers. And by July 2018, we will have established Worker Safety Committees—groups of workers trained and empowered to monitor on-site occupational safety and health issues—in all 600+ Alliance factories.

Reinstatement of three suspended factories in recognition of progress and Suspension of one factory for inaction on safety repairs round out Alliance November updates

DHAKA, Bangladesh - The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that four additional Alliance-affiliated factories have completed all material components outlined in their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), bringing the total number of graduated factories to 46. In addition, three factories previously suspended by the Alliance have been reinstated in recognition of remediation progress.

Global Fashion Garments Ltd., Global Outerwear Ltd., Ornate Knit Garment Industries Ltd. and Sajid Washing & Dyeing all achieved closure on their CAPs, and Sheehan Specialized Textile Mills Ltd., Smart Jacket (BD) Ltd. and Smart Jeans Ltd. were removed from suspension.

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety is deeply saddened by news of the deadly fire at a cigarette factory in Ashulia, Dhaka, in which one person has died and more than 30 have been injured. We understand that the workers, many of them young women under the age of 20, remain in critical condition as a result of their injuries. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, workers, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

This is not an RMG factory, and thus not aligned with any current safety initiative, which further begs the need to ensure every worker in Bangladesh is protected, no matter the industry, and that safety reforms span across all Bangladeshi factories.

WASHINGTON — The Honorable Ellen O’Kane Tauscher, independent chair of the Board of The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance), has issued the following statement in response to a report by the International Labor Rights Forum, Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium and Maquila Solidarity Network, that in several areas, misrepresents and oversimplifies the complexities of the Alliance and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety’s (Accord) efforts to improve worker safety in Bangladesh. It is important to note that the factories highlighted in the report are those producing products for both Alliance and Accord brands.

DHAKA, Bangladesh - The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety announced today that it has suspended seven additional factories for failure to show evidence of remediation progress. Five of the seven factories were also cited by the Alliance for failure to remove lockable exits. The move brings the total number factories suspended by the Alliance to 104.

“Any factory that is unwilling or unable to make progress on the repairs required to meet our safety standards is removed from our list of Alliance-complaint factories, without exception,” said Jim Moriarty, former U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh and Alliance country director. “Ensuring the safety of workers in Alliance-affiliated factories is our highest priority.”

Laser Focus on Critical Safety Repairs and Establishment of Worker Safety Committees as the Alliance Enters Year Four

DHAKA – As part of its ongoing commitment to enforcing a culture of safety in its Bangladesh garment factories, The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) today issued its third annual report, which reflects significant progress toward its goal of leaving the industry substantially safer as a result of the initiative.