INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PAGES
Interview with Radio
France: BGMEA Presi-
dent Dr. Rubana Huq
projects real picture of
industry
BGMEA President Dr. Rubana Huq
gave an interview to Radio France
where her bid was to change the one-
sided perceptions about the industry
through projecting its real picture to the
world. Following is the transcript of the
interview translated into English:
By the end of 2013, more than 200
brands such as Adidas, Hugo Boss
and Carrefour had signed the Accord
on safety in the textile industry, a text
that imposes binding rules on opera-
tors: installation of fire extinguishers,
fire doors, emergency exits or upgrad-
ing of electrical systems.
According to Rubana Huq, President
of the BGMEA, the Bangladesh Gar-
ment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association, the Rana Plaza marked
a turning point. "All the factories have
cleaned up their structures because
nobody wants a new Rana Plaza. We
go from factory to factory and monitor
progress step by step. In case of non-
compliance, we cancel the export li-
cense, so we take punitive measures.
We're very active in tracking down any
vulnerabilities. But you know a fire can
happen anywhere. Our priority is to be
able to contain it and avoid loss of life
at all costs. So far fortunately that's
been the case."
No new major accidents since 2013,
but the reality is that textile workers in
Bangladesh earn a miserable wage,
while the sector brings more than 20
billion euros to the economy every
year.Trade unions are demanding a
minimum wage of Euro160 per month.
But on this subject, Rubana Huq, the
boss of Bangladeshi bosses, is taking
a back seat. "I don't think the unions'
demands are irrational. But there's a
problem, it's the buyers. Are the brands
paying more for our goods? No, they
aren't. Since the last pay raise, noneof the major clothing brands have put
in a penny more. In fact, it's the other
way around. In 4 years, the purchase
price in the European Union has fallen
by more than 3% and it's worse on the
American side, with a drop of 7%. If
this is the scenario, where are we go-
ing to get the money?"
Why not in the state coffers? What if
the Bangladeshi government puts its
hand in its pocket to support the tex-
tile industry and guarantee workers
decent living conditions? Bangladesh's
ambassador to France, Kazi Imtiaz
Hossain, cautiously replied: "The Rana
Plaza served as a detonator. This dra-
ma shook the country and provoked
several initiatives. There was the in-
ternational agreement but also a na-
tional action plan in Bangladesh. The
state has moved closer to the textile
industries, both to secure the sector,
but also to ensure good working con-
ditions for the workers. Are we putting
enough money into it? There will never
be enough, but we believe that given
our resources and the importance of
the textile sector, both in terms of in-
come and social impact, the govern-
ment is genuinely supporting the in-
dustry to help it develop, but also to
be internationally competitive."
The Bangladeshi authorities assure
that after 7 years of co-management,
they are able to manage everything,
salaries and security, without the help
of the international community. False
and dangerous retorts the global con-
NCM-MARCH 2020
72sortium of workers' rights, for whom
the 4 million Bangladeshi textile work-
ers must not be abandoned.
BGMEA-BEZA Officials
Meeting on Mirsarai
Garment Village held
A meeting was held between BGMEA
and Bangladesh Economic Zone Au-
thority (BEZA) to discuss the progress
of constructing the garment village in
Mirsarai Economic Zone.
BGMEA President Dr. Rubana Huq
chaired the meeting.
BEZA Chairman Paban Chowdhury,
BGMEA Directors Sharif Zahir and
Khondaker Belayet Hossain, former
Director Md. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury
and high officials from BEZA attended
the meeting.
Earlier, an agreement was signed be-
tween BEZA and BGMEA for estab-
lishment of the garment village on 500
acres of land at Bangabandhu Shilpa
Nagar in Mirsarai, Chattogram.
Land development works and other
construction works for utility facilities
are going on now at the project site.
It is expected that BGMEA would be
able to handover the land to its mem-
bers who had applied for it earlier, in
December 2021.