Problems of Bangladesh Garments Sector and

their Solution– An Islamic Perspective

Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled

Abstract: The paper relates to the Bangladesh garments sector. Garments workers are badly exploited
by the factory owners in collaboration with their foreign buyers resulting in a sub-human standard of life
of workers. The occasional agitations for higher wages and better amenities for workers are alleged to
be fanned up to violence by some interested quarters together with the privileged unorganized labour
leaders and certain NGOs. The recent violence following the declaration of the Wage Structure 2010 is
alleged to be backed by those interested in taking away this industry from Bangladesh. The paper
highlights the major problems faced by the industry and suggests solution in the light of the teachings of
Islam.

I. Introduction
After the decline and fall of the jute industry just after liberation – (recent media reports show a hopeful
prospect of this industry) – the garments industry now plays a vital role in the economy, starting about a
decade or so after the emergence of Bangladesh. Like the jute growers and the jute industrial workers
that were once the driving force of the Bangladesh economy, the same role is being played today by the
garments industry and its workers, and they are the single largest number of industrial workers in the
country. With the toil, sweat and untiring effort of the garments workers, this industry has achieved
immense expansion. These workers join this industry with a hope of achieving social security and in
search of livelihood. They usually come from the wretched families of rural Bangladesh. These rural
families give their children very elementary education up to class one or two for making them eligible to
work in the urban based garments industries. It has been shown in different research publications that
about 96% of the male and 76% of the female workers are educated up to that level, but their attitude
towards life is modern. Many young women want to avoid the curse of immature marriage and try to
grow up as the mistress of their own life by working in this sector (Wasif, 2010, P.13). The enthusiasm of
rural youths


The author is a former Staff Economist (1968-1970), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Karachi,
Pakistan. Former Professor of Economics and Vice-Principal, Comilla Women’s College, Comilla Bangladesh.
Comments of an anonymous referee are gratefully acknowledged but the opinions expressed in the paper are
essentially the author’s own.