April '26 | New Labour Law in Bangladesh, War Disruptions, Civil Society Calls for a Stronger DST, and more…
In our ongoing commitment to providing insight into the evolving landscape of labour and environmental rights within the textile and garment industry, we share with you the latest developments. In this edition of Textile Insight, we focus on recent labour law reforms in Bangladesh, which could mark a significant shift for worker organising by lowering barriers to union formation and strengthening protections against anti-union practices. Beyond this, the escalating conflict in Iran is triggering major supply chain disruptions across South Asia, increasing pressure on suppliers and workers alike. Meanwhile, the transformation of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles into the new DST has prompted a joint civil society statement calling for transparency and real impact instead of a purely dialogue-based approach. Finally, in the context of the Rana Plaza anniversary, we invite you to join our Speakerstour in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, creating space to hear directly from Bangladeshi trade unionist Camelia Hasan (NGWF) on labour struggles and the power of women organising.
We hope you find these insights useful!
STUDIES & REPORTS
The Drip: Voices on Water, Labor, and Sustainability in the Fashion Industry
A new publication by DripbyDrip reveals why water remains fashion’s most overlooked crisis – despite being the industry’s most significant environmental impact. Amongst intriguing articles from Thivya Rakini, Adiba Afros and Lavinia Muth, our project partner Shahriar Hossain from ESDO contributes a powerful overview of what Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) achieves on the ground. Dive in to understand why treating water as a mere production input ignores the realities of polluted ecosystems and exploited workers.
Reporting What Matters, or Reporting What Looks Good? Materiality and Balance in Post–Rana Plaza Apparel Sustainability Disclosure (pdf)
A new analysis of 322 sustainability reports from 69 apparel companies (2014–2021) reveals that firms most directly implicated in the Rana Plaza disaster consistently dedicated more discursive attention to environmental impacts than to labor conditions, despite the catastrophe being fundamentally a labor and safety crisis. Across all companies and topics, reporting tone was systematically and increasingly optimistic, indicating a sector-wide pattern of "rhetorical optimism" that may limit the usefulness of these reports for genuine accountability.
NEWS
Civil Society Statement on the Transformation of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles
As the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles transitions into the new Dialogue and Impact for Sustainable Textiles (DST), civil society organisations warn against lowering existing standards. In a joint statement, they highlight that the initiative has so far failed to deliver measurable improvements in key areas such as living wages, freedom of association and environmental protection. For the new DST, they call for binding transparency, measurable targets and meaningful participation of rights holders to ensure that the platform leads to real change on the ground – not just continued dialogue.
War in Iran Triggers Supply Chain Shock Across South Asia’s Textile Sector
Due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, LNG supplies from the Gulf have come to a sudden halt, while Bangladesh is now facing an unfolding energy shock that could cause global buyers to reroute orders elsewhere within weeks. The newly installed BNP government in Bangladesh is imposing the full burden of the Iran war-induced energy crisis on working people while adhering to IMF austerity demands. Synthetic fibers, chemicals, and other petroleum-based inputs have risen by 10–15%, with some costs tripling, but buyers refuse to pay higher prices for existing orders, forcing manufacturers to absorb the losses. The ripple effects also extend to labour-providing countries. In Sri Lanka, workers bound for Gulf jobs face delayed departures, cutting off vital remittance income, while in India disrupted supply chains and energy shortages have contributed to factory closures, job losses and mass strikes.
How an Assault in Bangladesh Puts Germany’s Supply Chain Act to the Test (in German)
A seamstress in Bangladesh has been beaten and insulted by her supervisor in a factory supplying Lidl. As her union NGWF demands justice, 57 colleagues are blacklisted, forced to leave their homes and left without income for months. As a recent taz article shows, the case exposes how Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), now in its third year, risks failing workers on the ground when enforcement remains opaque and complainants are left unprotected.
Germany’s EPR Plans Under Scrutiny: Calls to Tackle Overproduction Beyond Waste Management
Germany is currently preparing a legislative package to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, following an EU requirement that entered into force in October 2025. The planned regulation would require fast-fashion companies to contribute financially to the costs of collection, sorting, and recycling of textile waste. However, civil society organizations are calling for a more ambitious approach. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) warns in a recent statement (in German) that the national transposition must not reduce the issue of (ultra-)fast fashion to a mere waste management problem, but instead address its root causes. Similarly, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) outlines in a five-point paper (in German) that effective EPR must go beyond end-of-life solutions and tackle systemic drivers such as overproduction and fast-fashion business models. DUH emphasizes that meaningful waste prevention requires binding measures to reduce production volumes, strengthen reuse systems, and support circular textile use.
PRODUCTION COUNTRIES
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Adopts New Labour Law – Progress on Union Rights, but Concerns Remain
Bangladesh has adopted a new labour law introducing significant reforms, particularly by lowering barriers to trade union formation and strengthening protections against anti-union discrimination, blacklisting and workplace harassment. Uni Global Union have welcomed the law as a potential breakthrough for worker organising and collective bargaining. However, labour representatives also warn that last-minute amendments favoured employers and bypassed tripartite consultation processes, raising concerns about how far the reforms will translate into real improvements in practice.
Chemical Contamination in the Kathgara Bazar Area (New Textile Incident)
As part of Community-Based Monitoring, ESDO and HEJSupport have detected alarming levels of PFAS "forever chemicals" in water and soil samples from the Kathgara Bazar Area in Ashulia, Bangladesh. PFOA levels were found to be up to 747 times higher than US EPA safety limits, and PFOS exceeded limits by 695 times.
Heavy Metal Contamination in the Nayanjholi Khal-Ghosbag community (New Textile Incident)
Further results from Community-Based Monitoring show that lead levels in agricultural soils in the Nayanjholi Khal-Ghosbag community in Ashulia, Bangladesh, exceed safe limits by more than 1,100 times. This severe contamination threatens food safety, as lead accumulates in crops and vegetables grown in these fields. Long-term health impacts include neurological damage in children, kidney damage, and increased cancer risks.
Factory Closures in Ashulia after workers protest (New Textile Incident)
More than 4,000 garment workers in Ashulia, Bangladesh, have been thrown into hardship after two factories, Fashion Forum Limited and JA Apparels, were indefinitely closed without payment of wages and benefits following worker protests.
India
Protest over Wage Cuts in Gurugam (New Textile Incident)
Violent clashes erupted in India after workers protested wage cuts, causing injured workers and damaged factories tied to major global brands. The protests were triggered by significant minimum wage increases of 35 percent in the industrial zone, which companies reportedly implemented inadequately. While some factories appear to be paying the higher minimum wages, they allegedly offset them by cutting overtime pay. Meanwhile, protests have spread to Noida and Faridabad, signalling broader regional discontent.
NETWORK & EVENTS
24 April 2026 | 18:30 | Motoki, Cologne-Ehrenfeld
Speakerstour: Live Podcast & Concert on the Rana Plaza Anniversary
FEMNET invites you to a special evening marking the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. Join a live podcast with journalist Carmen Maiwald and a concert with artist IUMA at Motoki in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, featuring Bangladeshi trade unionist Camelia Hasan from NGWF sharing firsthand insights on labour struggles and the power of women organising. Come by for an inspiring mix of discussion, music and solidarity. Registration is open.
21 April 2026 | 10:00–17:30 | Frankfurt am Main (in German)
Sustainable Fashion Summit 2026
A free one-day summit in Frankfurt brings together fashion professionals to explore sustainability, AI-driven marketing, brand building and new regulations. The programme includes inputs from companies such as VAUDE, alongside upcycling experts and an evening performance. Join the event to connect, exchange ideas and gain practical insights for a changing industry. Registration required.
We invite you to contribute events and networking opportunities for future editions by contacting us at
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