RMG is the veritable backbone of our economy, as things stand. Despite numerous industrial disasters in the past and the emergence of global events which have left a severe impact on the industry, our RMG sector has proven itself to be nothing if not resilient.
And now, with the gradual introduction of green practices within the industry, it appears that the only way to go is up.
Which is indeed quite a feat, given that it was only a decade ago that the Tazreen factory fire and Rana Plaza disaster rocked the nation, exposing the cracks that resulted in far too many lives being extinguished. While it took the industry some time, the rise of Accord and Alliance definitely paved the way to safer work environments for everyone in this sector.
However, measures such as going green for such a large-scale industry as RMG is not cheap. While it is good to know that such measures are ultimately not only beneficial for the environment and indeed for attracting foreign buyers, the biggest bottleneck remains the foreign buyers themselves and their thrifty nature that borders on unscrupulousness.
Now that Bangladesh's RMG industry is finally upholding standards, the finger must be pointed at the buyers who -- despite their vast resources -- consistently exhibit penny-pinching behaviour which only puts further pressure on suppliers to minimize costs of production, usually to the dismay of the hard-working men and women in this sector.
This is unjust and hypocritical on the part of the buyers.
Being the global champion in green factories certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program of the US Green Building Council does not come cheap, and the onus now lies squarely on foreign buyers to quit being so thrifty.
