The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has planned to establish a Readymade Garments (RMG) Sustainability Council (RSC) to ensure a complete and independent national compliance monitoring system in Bangladesh. It will be governed by BGMEA, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), brands and workers’ representatives.
The RSC will take over the structure, operation and resources of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh as it phases out from Bangladesh in the 281 days of signing of the memorandum of understanding between the BGMEA and Accord recently. The RSC will take over all the safety-related matters in the RMG industry within the legal framework of the government, BGMEA said.
During the transition period, the BGMEA will immediately establish an operating unit within the Accord’s Dhaka office to ensure a smoother transition, according to a report. The unit will regularly update RCC on the progress made. There will be no termination or escalation of any factory from Accord’s end without the agreement of the BGMEA unit. Accord agreed that there will be no group termination in the case of failure of one factory. In the case of any dispute between BGMEA unit and ACCORD, the matter will be referred to RCC for the final settlement.
