Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed a five-year partnership with ActionAid Bangladesh to strengthen human rights protections, environmental due diligence, and worker welfare, as the country’s apparel sector faces growing pressure from global buyers and regulators to prove its sustainability credentials.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed at the BGMEA complex in Dhaka, positions ActionAid Bangladesh as a strategic partner in implementing BGMEA’s Sustainable Strategic Vision 2030, a roadmap aimed at aligning the industry with international labour, environmental, and governance standards.
The agreement was signed by BGMEA Senior Vice President Enamul Haque Khan and ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir in the presence of senior officials from both organisations, including BGMEA vice president Md. Rezwan Selim and several board directors.
The partnership comes at a critical moment for Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which employs more than four million workers, most of them women, and supplies apparel to major global brands in Europe and North America. New regulatory frameworks, such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), are expected to require brands and suppliers to demonstrate stronger oversight of labour rights, environmental impacts, and supply chain transparency.
Under the MoU, the two organizations will work together to strengthen human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) across BGMEA member factories. Key priorities include developing women’s leadership within factories, ensuring respectful and harassment-free workplaces, and raising awareness among workers about their legal and social rights.
The agreement also places a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability, with joint initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, expanding the use of energy-efficient technologies, and promoting green industrialization across the sector. Bangladesh is already home to the highest number of LEED-certified green garment factories in the world, but industry leaders acknowledge that further progress is needed to meet buyer expectations and national climate commitments.
Occupational health and safety, mental well-being,g and access to social protection schemes will form another core pillar of the collaboration. The partners plan to support factories in introducing training programmes and monitoring tools aligned with international standards, including those required by European regulations, to improve compliance capacity and workforce efficiency.
The MoU also seeks to strengthen coordination among factory owners, workers, and international buyers through regular reviews to improve transparency and trust throughout the supply chain.
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Speaking at the signing ceremony, Enamul Haque Khan said Bangladesh’s garment industry had moved beyond its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub and was increasingly positioning itself as a responsible and reliable global sourcing partner.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to embedding human rights and environmental responsibility into the core of our industry’s growth strategy,” he said. “By working with ActionAid Bangladesh, we aim to further improve working conditions, empower workers, and enhance Bangladesh’s reputation in international markets.”
ActionAid Bangladesh’s Farah Kabir said long-term competitiveness in the global apparel market would depend on how effectively the industry protects workers while reducing its environmental footprint.
“True sustainability is not only about green factories, but about people, especially women workers having dignity, safety, and a voice at work,” she said. “This collaboration is an opportunity to build a more inclusive and transparent garment sector that benefits workers, businesses, and communities alike.”
The agreement will remain in force from January 2026 to December 2030. Under its terms, ActionAid Bangladesh will provide financial support for selected programmes and initiatives, while BGMEA will facilitate infrastructure and logistical support across its network of member factories.
However, challenges remain around wage growth, worker representation, climate resilience, and responsible energy use. Observers say the BGMEA–ActionAid partnership could help address some of these gaps if commitments are translated into measurable action at the factory level.
Several senior officials from both organisations attended the signing ceremony, signaling high-level backing for the initiative. Both sides said regular progress reviews would be conducted to ensure that the partnership delivers tangible improvements in workers’ lives and environmental performance.
As Bangladesh seeks to safeguard its position as the world’s second-largest apparel exporter, initiatives that link human rights, environmental responsibility, and competitiveness are expected to play an increasingly central role in shaping the industry’s future.
