Brac University’s (BracU) digital map charting Dhaka’s garment factories is a very timely and significant initiative which will help product buyers know more about the entities, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on 9 February 2019.
He was addressing a ceremony in BGMEA Complex on officially launching a beta version of the online interactive public database called Mapped in Bangladesh, a research initiative led by BRACU with lead funding from C&A Foundation and support from Brac USA.
It contains export-oriented ready-made garment factory names, GPS location, postal address, number of workers, products, export countries, brands and buyers, and memberships, affiliations, and certifications, all of which enumerators collected going door-to-door.
To be updated now and again with verified crowdsourced information, the map is scheduled to be expanded by 2021 to incorporate factories across the country.
For over three decades, the garment sector has been the driving force behind Bangladesh’s economy, spurring tremendous economic growth and employing more than 3.5 million workers, the majority of whom are young women.
“The government, city planners, and civil society organisations can utilise this map's industry dispersion and concentration data. The industry can also use the tool to showcase its capability and enable greater efficiency,” said Syed Hasibuddin Hussain, manager of the project.
“But most of all, as an academic organisation, we feel excited by the prospect that this user-friendly resource can support future research initiatives,” he added.
This transparency initiative serves as a starting point toward re-branding Bangladesh’s apparel industry, said Md Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
“We have made tremendous progress in safety and sustainability of the industry in recent years. The BGMEA engaged and facilitated this initiative to promote transparency of this industry,” he said.
“We believe the digital map will empower stakeholders across the industry, including factories, brands and retailers, and government through establishing a better understanding about the industry and will help the users with correct and real-time information,” said Rahman.
“This will strengthen the effectiveness of improvements already underway,” he added.
The Mapped in Bangladesh is guided by an expert Project Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from rights-based and research organisations, international brands, NGOs, major industry associations and the government, all inspiring shared responsibility across the industry.
The initiative has also forged strategic partnerships with the BGMEA and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and received support from the labour ministry’s Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.
“Mapped in Bangladesh enables a collective action approach to advancements in the garment sector by bringing together key industry stakeholders,” said Linda Patentas, program manager for Cities, Supply Chains, and Migration at Brac USA.
“Transparency tools like Mapped in Bangladesh can continue to strengthen improvements and facilitate growth in the readymade garment industry,” she said.