Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) and other regulatory bodies to ensure strict compliance and due diligence across all sectors to safeguard the country’s industrial integrity and international reputation.
“We especially call on the government to take firm action so that no illegal factories or warehouses operate beyond regulatory supervision,” said BGMEA Acting President Inamul Haq Khan in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The BGMEA expressed deep concern over what it termed “misleading and sensationalised headlines” following the recent fire tragedy in Mirpur. The association extended condolences to the victims’ families and wished a quick recovery for the injured.
Citing information from the Fire Service and law enforcement agencies, BGMEA said the blaze started in a chemical warehouse, with toxic fumes and explosions spreading to nearby buildings, resulting in multiple deaths.
The trade body clarified that the affected facilities were not members of the BGMEA, nor affiliated with any recognised industry association or covered under the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC). These establishments, it added, do not represent the formal, export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh.
The BGMEA reiterated that Bangladesh’s RMG industry maintains globally recognised safety and compliance standards, urging all stakeholders to distinguish between compliant export-oriented factories and unregulated informal units.
