Around 87 EU Retailers Would Start Inspecting The Garment Units From November This Year

Around 87 EU retailers, who are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, would start inspecting the garment units from November this year.

A delegation of the EU Accord visited Dhaka this week and shared its initial action plan with the representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA).

The joint action plan proposes inspection of 1800 garment units in Bangladesh to ensure that these are complying with safety standards, over a one-year period.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, BGMEA vice-president Shahidullah Azim said the EU delegation agreed to work under a unified code of conduct.

At the meeting, both sides discussed common standards for inspection, funding arrangements and next course of action for the betterment of the industry.

Mr. Azim said the fund for inspection would be collected from Accord members and donors. There would also be another fund for vendors, which would be extended as loan for renovation and relocation of garment units.

The EU Accord will now submit its list of vendors and an already prepared report on risk assessment to the International Labour Organization (ILO) this month, to make a common safety standard, he said.

The EU Accord came into being following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in April this year that resulted in the death of over 1,100 workers.