Health Canada -- the Canadian government wing which looks after their national health policy -- recalled some 216,595 units of George Brand sleepers that were made in Bangladesh due to choking and ingestion hazards.
In a notification issued on October 4, the Canadian authorities asked consumers to immediately stop using the recalled products and return them to Walmart stores for a full refund.
According to Health Canada, a total of 216,595 units of the affected products were sold in Canada from November 2022 to June 2023.
The zipper pulls and foot grips of the George Brand Sleepers might fall off or be removed through repeated washing, posing choking and ingestion hazards, the notification said.
Health Canada advised consumers to immediately stop using the recalled sleepers and check the style number printed on the collar to determine if their sleepers are affected.
The notification also included an illustration of the affected patterns.
As of September 21, 2023, the company has not received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada, the notification added.
The sleepers for both boys and girls were manufactured by Unique Designers Ltd, a garment factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, and distributed by PDS Far-East Ltd of Hong Kong, China, according to the Canadian government website.
The BGMEA issued a clarification on Sunday, saying that any attempt to generalize the recent recall of George Brand Sleepers to the entire Bangladeshi apparel industry is unacceptable.
The BGMEA president said the recall was due to a technical glitch in a specific product item for babies sourced and retailed by a specific brand in a specific country.
There is no evidence to support the claim that 12 countries have banned apparel made in Bangladesh.
We felt the urge to share this clarification so that misrepresentation of the fact is not repeated," Hassan added in a media statement on Sunday.
