Walt Disney stopped buying clothes from Bangladesh in 2013 due to fire and building collapse in the garment industry. However, the company is currently considering including Bangladesh in its list of approved sourcing countries in view of international labor standards.

The information was revealed in a press release issued by the Bangladesh Garment Exporters and Owners Association (BGMEA) on Friday (July 2nd). However, Disney has not yet officially announced the matter.

In a press release, Faruk Hasan, president of the Garment Industry Owners and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said he welcomed the move by Walt Disney in recognition of the industry's overall progress and transformation, especially in the field of workplace safety, social standards and environmental sustainability.

He said the industry has taken and invested in many unprecedented initiatives in the past years to create a culture of protection. Huge investments and factory renovation activities have been intensively followed-up to ensure protection of fire, electrical and architectural integrity in particular. The entire security transformation program was transparently supported and assisted by the Government of Bangladesh, the ILO, international brands, suppliers (manufacturers) and global unions.

Sunbd/NJ