How Bangladesh Became a Beacon of Ethical Fashion

For decades, Bangladesh has quietly built one of the most dynamic and resilient textile sectors in the world – grounded in industrial innovation, labor reforms, and a growing commitment to sustainability. But the country’s progress has often been obscured by outdated narratives that fail to reflect the reality on the ground.

Among the moments that briefly drew international attention was the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, which tragically underscored the urgent need for global accountability in fashion supply chains. Yet long before that day, Bangladesh had already begun modernizing its apparel sector – investing in infrastructure, worker protections, and regulatory reforms. What followed in the years since has only accelerated this transformation. As new global disruptions emerge – including Donald Trump’s proposed 37% tariff on Bangladeshi imports – the world still struggles to see the country for what it has become, rather than what it once was. The sourcing landscape is shifting. With looming tariffs of 32% tariff on Indonesia, and over 40% on Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Vietnam, affordability alone is no longer the defining metric. Instead, resilience, compliance, and capacity are taking centre stage.

Bangladesh has all three.

The World’s Gold Standard for Safety and Sustainability

The country’s regulatory infrastructure has matured significantly in recent years. Landmark agreements like the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety – globally recognized as one of the world’s toughest factory safety frameworks – have resulted in nearly 56,000 inspections across 2,400 factories. Over 175 international brands and retailers continue to rely on this model as the gold standard. Bangladesh also leads on environmental commitments, hosting more LEED-certified garment factories than anywhere else. Many of its biggest facilities have transitioned to renewable energy sources such as solar panels, while exploring a wide range of innovative, sustainable textiles.

Meanwhile, stricter regulations on effluent discharge that promote the use of Effluent Treatment Plants and other emerging technologies reduce the risk of pollution. Several stakeholder agreements have been introduced, from the Bangladesh Water PaCT to the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Programme, enabling industry rivals to collaborate on the definition and dissemination of best ecological practices.

The Perception Gap: Challenges to Global Recognition

Bangladesh has well and truly reclaimed its leading position in the global garment sector. But this hasn’t fully filtered into the global narrative. A new report, Beyond the Stereotype: Rethinking Bangladesh’s Textile Industry, highlights the gap between perception and reality. The report argues that despite

measurable gains, Bangladesh continues to be viewed – and penalized – through the lens of its past. Many buyers and trade policymakers remain anchored in outdated assumptions, failing to recognize the progress made or the risks that have already been addressed.

This misalignment comes at a cost. When Bangladesh is treated as high-risk despite its reforms, brands shift orders to less compliant markets. Foreign investment slows. Preferential trade access is undermined. The report calls for a new framework that evaluates performance over perception and rewards credible reform with strategic partnership.

The Engine Behind Inclusive Economic Growth

Bangladesh’s transformation is not theoretical. It has already delivered real, measurable impact. The garment sector employs over 4 million people, contributes around 13% of the country’s GDP and over 80% of its total exports. Most garment workers are women from rural communities, and the sector has been instrumental in advancing gender equity and household income stability across the country.

The country’s interim prime minister, Muhammad Yunus, helped lay the groundwork for this transformation through his pioneering work with Grameen Bank microfinance, turning rural women into mobile entrepreneurs and paving the way for an inclusive, digitally connected garment workforce.

Bangladesh is also investing heavily in education and skills development. Programs like the GEAR (Gender Equality and Returns) initiative, supported by the ILO and IFC, have trained hundreds of female workers for supervisory roles.

Building Toward a Connected, Strategic Future

Infrastructure is keeping pace. New expressways, metro rails, and airport expansions are connecting industrial zones to global markets more efficiently than ever. Dhaka is becoming a sourcing hub in its own right – with international hotels, luxury shopping, and streamlined investment services making it easier for buyers to operate on the ground. From the luxury resorts of Cox’s Bazar to the eco-retreats of Sylhet, Bangladesh offers something for everyone.

These improvements are already paying off. Brands like Gap, Express, Disney, and PVH have renewed or expanded their sourcing from Bangladesh, helping the country hit a record-breaking $36 billion in apparel exports in 2023. Unlike oversaturated markets like Vietnam, Bangladesh offers untapped scale – backed by a labor force of over 100 million, rising education levels, and strong regulatory infrastructure.

Uncertainty remains. With Donald Trump’s threatened 37% tariff on Bangladeshi imports hanging over the industry, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But tariffs aside, reshoring isn’t realistic for U.S. buyers. The domestic industry lacks the scale and cost structure to meet demand. As affordability becomes less of a guarantee, the sourcing advantage will shift to partners who deliver ethical, efficient, and scalable production.

Bangladesh fits that brief.

Twelve years after its darkest moment, Bangladesh has emerged not as a cautionary tale, but as a case study in resilience, reform, and reinvention. The fashion world is entering a new era – one in which responsibility and reliability are non-negotiable. Bangladesh isn’t just meeting those expectations. It’s helping to shape them.

About the author: Saman Rizwan is a journalist and researcher specializing in South Asian affairs, with a focus on human rights and development. She is also a former researcher at the Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research in Islamabad. Her work has been featured in leading publications, including the South China Morning Post, The Diplomat, Forbes, and Newsweek.