1

Research Essay on the Death in Garment Factories near Dhaka, Bangladesh

Geog g207
Yanghuizi Wang
Here is the basic information about these fatal disasters happened in Bangladesh: last
last November at least !!2 people died in a fire at a garment factor" called #azreen
$ashions outside %ha&a 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!2)* in the last +pril 2, a factor"
building collapsed in the same area &illing !!27 (or&ers 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!-).
+fter the first astonishment at hearing these terrible ne(s the public directl"
produced an reaction to dig out the reasons for these disasters/ occurrence and severe
results and various sources found out similar causes: poor safet" measures difficult"
to instant rescue supervisors/ severe negligence and even cruel treatment on the
(or&ers/ escaping from the disasters. #he fire at the #azreen factor" started in a
(arehouse on the ground floor that (as used to store "arn and 0uic&l" spread to the
upper floors. #he building (as nine stories high (ith the top three floors under
construction. #hough most (or&ers had left for the da" (hen the fire started the
industr" official said as man" as 100 (or&ers (ere still inside (or&ing overtime.
2ost of the (or&ers (ho died (ere on the first and second floors and (ere &illed
because there (ere not enough e3its. 2oreover 4the main difficult" (as to put out the
fire* the sufficient approach road (as not there5 said the retired official 6alim Na(a7
Bhui"an 4#he fire service had to ta&e great trouble to approach the factor".5 'Ne(
Yor& #imes 20!2) +nd this difficult" seriousl" reduced the effect of first8time rescue
and increased the degree of damage and death. #he head of an official in0uir" told the
BB9 that 2ain :ddin ;handa&er added that the o(ner of the #azreen factor" had
been guilt" of <severe negligence< and had prevented (or&ers from escaping the blaze
(hen the fire started and padloc&ed e3its. 'BB9 20!2) $or the deadl" factor"
collapse the reason is that the building (as constructed (ith substandard materials
2
and in blatant disregard for building codes a high8level government report concluded.
#he report blamed the ma"or for (rongl" granting construction approvals and
recommended charges against the building/s o(ner 6ohel =ana and the o(ners of
the five garment factories. :pper floors (ere illegall" constructed to house garment.
>arge po(er generators placed on these upper floors necessar" because of regular
po(er failures (ould sha&e the poorl" constructed building (henever the" (ere
s(itched on. ?n +pril 2- crac&s appeared in the building sha&ing the structure
enough that man" (or&ers fled. Yet these bosses discounted an" concerns and ordered
their (or&ers into the building the ne3t morning. + generator soon s(itched on and
the building buc&led and collapsed 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!-).
#hen ho( did people in Bangladesh react@ #he #azreen factor" fire dre( (orld8(ide
attention to (hat critics called unsafe (or&ing conditions in emerging mar&ets. #he
problem has been particularl" severe in Bangladesh (here a spate of fires has
ravaged the manufacturing industr" over the past fe( "ears. ?f course officials in
Bangladesh/s government immediatel" led in0uir" and investigation and then issued
their reports. +ctuall" this factor" made clothing for (estern retailers and these
retailers insisted that the" source their clothes from these factories (hich compl" (ith
safet" standards but not ever" person believes it. #housands of people 7oined street
protests after the fire and the collapse demanding better protection from such
incidents.
Besides the above research of these disasters and people/s reaction one fundamental
issue is about the garment industr" in Bangladesh and (or&ing conditions for
emplo"ees in this industr". Bangladesh/s garment industr" e3porting about A!B
billion (orth of garments a "ear is the second8largest e3porter of clothing after
9hina. 2ore than C000 garment factories are in this countr" handling orders for
nearl" all of the (orld/s top brands and retailers. Dt also has a notoriousl" poor fire
safet" record. 6ince 2001 more than C00 Bangladeshi (or&ers have died in factor"
3
fires according to 9lean 9lothes 9ampaign an anti8s(eatshop advocac" group in
+msterdam. E3perts sa" man" of the fires could have easil" been avoided if the
factories had ta&en the right precautions. 2an" factories are in cramped
neighborhoods and have too fe( fire escapes and the" (idel" flout safet" measures.
#he industr" emplo"s more than three million (or&ers in Bangladesh most of them
(omen. Emplo"ees in the countr"/s factories are among the (orld/s lo(est8paid (ith
entr"8level (or&ers ma&ing the government8mandated minimum (age of about A-7 a
month or slightl" above. #ensions have been running high bet(een (or&ers and the
factor" o(ners and government. + union organizer +minul Dslam (ho campaigned
for better (or&ing conditions and higher (ages (as found tortured and &illed outside
%ha&a 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!2F20!-).
+nother 0uestion fre0uentl" as&ed b" the public is that (hat retailers sell these
garments and their responsibilit". 9lothes of global brands li&e #omm" Hilfiger and
the Gap are produced in Bangladeshi factories. $or instance the #azreen factor" made
clothing for (estern retailers including Walmart 9F+ and the Edinburgh Woollen
2ill. +ctivists said that these brands need to ta&e responsibilit" for the (or&ing
conditions in these factories. 4#hese brands have &no(n for "ears that man" of the
factories the" choose to (or& (ith are death traps5 Dne&e Geldenrust the international
coordinator for the 9lean 9lothes 9ampaign said in a statement. 4#heir failure to ta&e
action amounts to criminal negligence.5 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!2)
+s the sa"ing goes that it is no use to cr" over the spilt mil& hence the &e" lies in
practical actions to tr" to ensure that these threats to the (or&ers do not occur in the
future. $or e3ample in a statement from the :nited 6tates Wal82art said 4While (e
are tr"ing to determine if the factor" has a current relationship (ith Walmart or one of
our suppliers fire safet" is a criticall" important area of Walmart/s factor" audit
program and (e have been (or&ing across the apparel industr" to improve fire safet"
education and training in Bangladesh.5 'Ne( Yor& #imes 20!2) +nd then Wal82art
4
adopted a <zero tolerance polic"< for violations of its global sourcing standards
replacing the previous <three8stri&e< polic" and planed to immediatel" sever ties (ith
an"one (ho subcontracts (or& to factories (ithout the retailerHs &no(ledge. #his
polic" means that ne( factories must undergo a pre8approval audit before suppliers
can do business (ith them and suppliers must ensure one of its emplo"ees is stationed
locall" to monitor factor" facilities. Nevertheless +ssociated Iress >abor activists
pla"ed do(n the ne( policies as modest steps that donHt address vital problems such
as the fees Wal82art pa"s man" of its suppliers (hich critics sa" are insufficient to
cover ade0uate (ages and safe (or&ing conditions at factories. #he" said Wal82art
needed to disclose the names of all the factories its suppliers use. Wal82art said the
compan" (ould continue to strengthen its monitoring program but that suppliers
local governments and other parties also must pla" a role in improving safet"
conditions. 'Wall 6treet Journal 20!-)
Based on the above anal"sis the role of globalization functions rather harmfull" than
beneficiall" in these disasters retailers searching for suppliers in the (orld (ith high
0ualit" and lo( cost. 2ean(hile safet" should al(a"s be the first priorit" other(ise
the (orst industrial tragedies li&e these disasters (ould happen again.
5
Wor& cited
Ba7a7 Ki&as 20!2. 4$atal $ire in Bangladesh Highlights the %angers $acing Garment Wor&ers5 Ne(
Yor& #imes Nov. 21 20!2 p. +,* online at
http:LL(((.n"times.comL20!2L!!L21L(orldLasiaLbangladesh8fire8&ills8more8than8!008and8
in7ures8man".html
Ban7o 6hell". 20!-. 4Wal82art #oughens 6upplier Iolicies5 Wall 6treet Journal Jan. 22 20!- p. B!*
online at
http:LLonline.(s7.comLarticleL6B!000!,2,!27BB7-2--0!!0,C7B2C1!B-!1,M0C720.html@
;EYW?=%6NBangladeshO
BB9. 20!2. 4Bangladesh #azreen factor" fire (as sabotage P in0uir"5 BB9 Ne(s P +sia %ec. !7
20!2* online at http:LL(((.bbc.co.u&Lne(sL(orld8asia8207CCMC2
Yardle" Jim. 20!-.
4=eport on %eadl" $actor" 9ollapse in Bangladesh $inds Widespread Blame5 Ne( Yor&
#imes 2a" 22 20!- p. +C* online at http:LL(((.n"times.comL20!-L0CL2-L(orldLasiaLreport8
on8bangladesh8building8collapse8finds8(idespread8blame.html