Apparel manufacturers will seek detailed information from the Accord’s Steering Committee on its spending on factory remediation programme at a meeting with the latter today (Tuesday), sources said. The meeting will be held between the leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and visiting members of the Steering Committee of Accord in the city. The BGMEA leaders will request the Accord to conduct its operation in the country’s readymade garment industry in accordance with the laws of the land. Concerns over ongoing safety initiatives and safety standards that are being followed in executing the corrective action plan (CAP) including set-up of sprinkler and two-hour long fire preventive doors are expected to be discussed in the meeting, they added. The recent remarks made by Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the BGMEA President over Accord’s activities will also be discussed, they added. On June 15, at a meeting with the leaders of the BGMEA, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, Mr Muhith described the Alliance and the Accord as a ‘noose for the garment industry’. The BGMEA president was urged to raise the concern in the meeting. In this connection, the BGMEA held a meeting with its former presidents to place its demands to the Steering Committee. They identified some of Accord’s activities that are deemed beyond the laws of the land including requirement of setting up of sprinklers saying it is not mandatory in the BNBC (Bangladesh National Building Code), its intervention in forming trade unions in factories and benefits for closed factories. “We will raise three issues in the meeting: details of remediation financing, conducting operation complying with the existing laws and assurance that our investment for remediation will be commercially viable,” Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the BGMEA told the FE. Transparency should also be maintained in financing also, he said explaining that they must make it clear which factories got how much financial support from whom (buyers) and how many more will get such support. “Buyers or Accord have to assure the local apparel units that they will continue and increase their business as factory owners will have to invest a large amount of money to implement the corrective action plans provided by the Accord,” he said. Despite repeated assurance, the Accord is yet to provide any fund for remediation, he alleged.
