Disagreement over inspection standards

The forum of some 150 European retailers and brands known as the Accord and Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety, which is the platform for some 26 European companies, has come up with inspection standards for readymade garments. The plan has been strongly contested by BGMEA as one that has set a standard too high to be met within the stipulated timeframe. The arguments against the standards set by the two platforms is that many recommendations do not fall within the national building code and that strict adherence to the standards would not be feasible for smaller and medium RMG factories. We are all too aware that retailers' primary concern is safety for workers, particularly in the backdrop of the twin disasters of Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashion fire.
But we also believe that Bangladesh is well acknowledged as an established destination for garments imports -- from retailers' perspective. Keeping that in the forefront, there is a chorus of demand that Bangladesh improves on the safety situation. However, the agenda of improving the situation substantially within a strict timetable may be somewhat difficult. Hopefully, this will be done on a gradual scale. Looking beyond the added costs involved, it is in the interests of all stakeholders not to have a repetition of either Rana Plaza or Tazreen. Given that this is a sector worth more than $21 billion per annum and one that employs over 4 million people, the government, ILO, the foreign retailers and BGMEA must put their heads together to smoothen ruffled feathers and get an agreement on standards while the momentum for such course of action is strong.