© Green Bangla
On 14 October 2025, a major fire broke out in a chemical warehouse and an adjacent textile factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka, Bangladesh. At least 16 people died and many more were injured. The cause is still unclear – only: There is still a lack of basic safety standards.
© FEMNET
A report by our co-worker, Ohnmar Khin.
Two years ago, the military in Myanmar violently couped itself to power. After just a few days, there were countless arrests and deaths during demonstrations against the regime. At the forefront are textile workers who work in factories of international companies and continue to take to the streets today despite the great danger. At the same time, all Burmese in the country lack the most essential: The cost of living has exploded due to inflation and there is no longer sufficient medical care in the country. Many do not have the financial means to flee and those who manage to do so face new challenges and have to fear far away for their future and that of their families.
On a tour of Germany, two activists from Bangladesh have opened their eyes to people about the labour and human rights violations in their country's textile industry. They have shown consumers in Germany what the fight for better labour rights means for trade unionists and activists in Bangladesh: In view of the threat of harassment, insult, dismissal, imprisonment and use of force, it takes a lot of courage. Kalpona Akter and Mim Akter prove this courage day by day through their work. Here's the video of your trip.
© FEMNET
After it became quieter in the meantime in the reporting of the situation in Myanmar, atrocities of the military once again shape the headlines. The textile workers in particular are suffering from the continuing uncertain situation. Trade unions are calling for economic sanctions against the country and the military, which has now also led to the repositioning of some multi-stakeholder initiatives and brands. Human rights organizations, meanwhile, are calling for the release of the sick imprisoned trade unionist Myo Aye.
Members of the Textile Alliance, as well as companies that have signed the Bangladesh Accord, are writing a joint letter with the Clean Clothes Campaign to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh regarding the extension of the Accord for at least 6 months.
The situation in Myanmar has calmed down. But the country and its people continue to suffer from the violent reprisals of the military. Speaking to the international trade union federation IndustriALL, trade union president Khaing Zar explains why internal resistance alone is not enough.
Trade union representatives demonstrate for a minimum wage of 16,000 Taka on 27.7.2018. Photo: © NGWF
The Bangladesh Clothing Industry Employers' Association (BGMEA) has shown extreme contempt for the well-being of workers and their lives outside the factories. On Monday, July 16, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) proposed setting the minimum wage for workers at 6,360 Taka (approximately €64). This amount does not reach nearly a subsistence wage level in Bangladesh, nor does it remedy the neglect of the required legal minimum wage increase in the last 5 years.
© Kann Kaung / Myanmar Now
Myanmar is currently facing a double crisis: The devastating earthquake on 28 March 2025 claimed over 2,886 lives (as of 2 April 2025) and triggered a serious humanitarian catastrophe. Buildings, hospitals and roads are destroyed, communication routes are interrupted. For many activists and trade unionists, the earthquake is adding to an already threatening situation. They are not only victims of the destruction caused by the quake, but also continue to be the target of oppression and persecution by the military junta. Just hours after the quake, the junta continued its bombings in the Karen State, an area where many resistance fighters are present.
© FEMNET
Regular trips by FEMNET employees to our partners in the Southeast Asian production countries ensure that our projects have a local impact. The direct exchange with representatives of trade unions and organisations on the ground gives us important insights and assessments into the developments of the sector, and project projects can be launched according to jointly planned goals. The visit of foreign coordinator Daniela Wawrzyniak and Aika-Maresa Fischbeck, consultant for foreign projects and campaign work, to Dhaka at the end of October 2023 became a reality check: The trip took both of them right into the middle of the current wage negotiations in the textile industry.
The following FEMNET FactSheet was published in May 2018
You can download it here as a PDF file.
With the Bangladesh Accord, building safety in textile factories was to be improved after the factory collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed 1138 people on 24 April 2013. Since then, the safety of workers has improved noticeably. This year, the Accord will be renewed for another three years, but many companies refuse to join the agreement. But why actually? The Swiss CCC asked her, and here are the most popular answers for you.
Demonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFOn Friday, February 10, 2017, the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) and other unions once again demonstrated for improving the tense situation of trade unionists in Bangladesh. Several hundred seamstresses took part in the demonstration in Dhaka.
Your demands are:
Demonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFWorkers in Bangladesh have been protesting peacefully for raising the minimum wage since December 2016 and have been harassed massively. FEMNET e.V. supports the demands of the trade unions as well as the petition of the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), which calls on companies such as H&M, C&A or GAP to stand up for illegally arrested workers.
Sign the petition here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/brands-respect-basic-rights
