Walt Disney to resume sourcing apparels from Bangladesh

The Walt Disney Company has decided to take apparels from Bangladesh again after nearly a decade-long suspension following incidents of deadly fire and building collapse.

Citing a source, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association or BGMEA on Friday night said Walt Disney had considered the inclusion of the country in its Permitted Sourcing Country list with International Labour Standard audits.

Disney was yet to officially announce the decision.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan welcomed the move by the Walt Disney in recognition of the “all-out progresses and transformation in the industry, particularly in the area of workplace safety, social standards and environmental sustainability”.

Factories participating in the ILO’s Better Work Bangladesh programme will be entitled to become a vendor, while they need to participate in the Nirapon or RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) along with specific remediation fulfilment criteria.

The BGMEA said the industry has made “unprecedented” efforts and investment to ensure safety covering fire, electrical and structural integrity, a robust follow up of factory remediation, to create a culture of safety while promoting wellbeing of the workers over the past years.

The entire safety transformation programme was supported and facilitated by the government, ILO, international brands, manufacturers and the global unions.

The Hong Kong-based supply chain compliance solutions provider “QIMA” ranked Bangladesh as the second highest Ethical Manufacturing country in its recent report QIMA Q1 2021 Barometer.

The rating included performance against parameters like hygiene, health and safety, child and young labour, labour practices including forced labour, worker representation, disciplinary practices and discrimination, working hours and wages, and waste management.

The study was conducted at a time when COVID disrupted the global fashion industry and supply chain, and maintaining such level of compliance testifies our resilience and commitment.

“In addition, the progresses made in the areas of cleaner and greener manufacturing testifies to the industry’s commitment and actions toward building sustainable supply chain,” the association said.

The country being the home to the world’s most LEED green factories, having 144 LEED green factories certified by USGBC, of which 41 are platinum, earns the confidence of the global brands and consumers through its tireless efforts in past decade, it added.

BGMEA continued, as the only association in the world, it was honoured with the 2021 USGBC Leadership Award for its leadership in promoting environmental sustainability and green industrialisation in the RMG industry.

“While we commit ourselves to maintain the social and safety standards, we have aligned with global pledges like reducing GHG emission by 30% till 2030.

“Through these actions and transformation, Bangladesh has well positioned itself as the preferred sourcing partner for conscious brand like Disney, which is committed to fostering safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces in its manufacturing facilities worldwide.”