Bonded Stitches & Struggle

Bangladesh is able to compete in the manufacturing industry by maintaining the "lowest labor costs in the world".

Bangladesh is able to compete in the manufacturing industry by maintaining the "lowest labor costs in the world". This is unbelievable that how much blood, sweat and tears are plummeting down to accumulate the fuel of these industries. In November 2012, the country’s worst fire disaster in the Tazreen Fashions factory also killed more than a hundred. On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, the most heartbreaking disaster in human history, trembles the whole world. In irony, although the hazardous condition of the garment workers in Bangladesh has repeatedly risen to the international community by the development organizations and media, Bangladesh took an expensive long period to realize the ‘actual’ situation. In cost, more than 1,300 workers have been killed, thousands have been injured, many became paralyzed and faced psychological dreadfulness. The children of the workers became parentless and still facing a social and mental horror.

The garment workers produce high-quality products like western fashion brands in unexpected terrible working conditions. The unsafe and risky environment of the garment factories, unexpected accidental death, sexual harassment in the workplaces, discrimination in labor cost, malnutrition and unhygienic environment are the common issues are very much related to the fortune of these workers. Human rights violated at every step of their life. They don’t know how to raise voice to claim rights as a human being. When they raise their voice for their minimum demand they have to face brutality both from the law enforcement agencies and garment owners. They don’t know how expensive the product they produce by dropping their sweats. Even two-third of their wages are taken hold of by the landlords and inflated market. This essay has been developed over the last six years, following not only the big disasters of the industry but also portraying the everyday struggles of Bangladeshi garment workers.