Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, CPD spoke as a Special Guest at the launching session of the Stakeholders Workshop on “Improving Working Conditions in the RMG Sector,” which was held on 22 October 2013.
The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, GoB and International Labour Organization (ILO). Professor Rahman welcomed the tripartite initiative to implement a series of activities to enhance work place safety and security and to strengthen compliance assurance relating to building-code, building-structure etc. in the export-oriented RMG sector of Bangladesh.
Professor Rahman underscored that investments in these areas ought to be seen as part of a winning strategy of the coalition of the willing. He felt that these initiatives will help establish ‘Brand Bangladesh’ in the global market. He also underscored the need to enforce good governance in implementing the various activities envisaged under the programme and emphasised the urgency of ensuring good coordination among the various stakeholders involved to avoid overlap and cost-escalating duplications.
Professor Rahman also shared with the audience CPD’s initiative, in partnership with a number of civil society organisations, to monitor post-Rana Plaza follow-ups. He said that the initiative aimed at contributing to accountability and transparency in the various action plans being implemented subsequent to the Rana Plaza tragedy.