Abstract

Ferdous Ahamed

The Ready-made Garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh is the major foreign currency earning sector with the highest employment rate. Bangladesh exported garments worth the equivalent of US $10.7 billion in 2008, which was about 3.87 per cent of the global total value (US $276 billion) of garment exports (EPB, 2008; BB, 2008). Despite the phenomenal success of the RMG sector, poor working conditions in the factories and the lack of social compliance are other serious concerns. This article investigates lapses in establishing International Labour Standards and to what extent Social compliance can be incorporated into the RMG industry. It proposes an effective monitoring and surveillance system (EMSS) model which could be used to establish social compliance and to remove labour unrest from the RMG sector.