Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, the platform of North American fashion brands and retailers, has ended its operation in Bangladesh on Monday as the transition period of the platform was expired on the day.‘The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety has ceased operations effective December 31, 2018. All email directed to the Alliance will not be received,’ the buyers platform made the announcement on its website on the last day of the operation in Bangladesh.In the announcement the Board of Directors of Alliance thanked all for their support of the buyers platform and its mission over the past five years. ‘We have made quite a difference for thousands of workers in the RMG sector and have hopefully instilled a lasting sense of safety for all of the factories, staff and management involved in the program,’ the Alliance said.One of the officials of Alliance said that December 31 was their last office and then the platform closed its office in Dhaka.Earlier, the alliance announced that it would cease operations from Bangladesh on December 31 and from the beginning of 2019 the brands would engage a local company to monitor safety in the factories from which they procure products.Following the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 24, 2013, that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers, North American buyers and retailers formed the Alliance undertaking a five-year plan, which set timeframes and accountability for inspections, trainings and worker empowerment programmes in Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector.The platform inspected more than 700 RMG factories in Bangladesh from where they procure products.According to the Alliance data, 93 per cent of faults identified in the factories were corrected, while 428 factories completed 100 per cent remediation works. The buyers group terminated 178 factories from its compliant factory list because of their lack of progress in ensuring a safe working condition.After Rana Plaza building collapse, European brands and retailers also formed another platform namely Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.The initiative inspected more than 1,600 factories and completed over 90 per cent of remediation works in the units.Accord wanted more time to stay in Bangladesh as its tenure ended and the issue remained pending in court.
