Once again, Western brands are facing criticism in Bangladesh, where they outsource manufacturing of their low-cost clothing collections. Suppliers to 45 brands, including Zara, H&M and French firms Kiabi, Decathlon and Carrefour, have been singled out for filing complaints against their workers following the 2023 protests.

More than a year after the violent repression of strikes to raise the minimum wage for workers in the textile sector in November 2023, some 40,000 employees are still threatened with criminal prosecution, according to Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), a federation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) campaigning for the respect of human rights.

At the time, workers were forced to return to the factories without having obtained satisfaction. The minimum wage was increased by 56% to 12,500 takas (around €100), compared with the demand of 23,000 takas (around €180). Four workers died, three of them shot dead by the police, and over 100 people were arrested.

Thousands of workers are still being prosecuted. Thirty-six complaints have been filed by factories against 40,000 workers, accused of taking part in violence and vandalizing production tools. The workers "are facing arbitrary charges, which could result in long prison sentences, including life imprisonment," warned CCC, which believes that most of the complaints are unfounded and aimed solely at intimidating the workers. The NGO condemned the brands' inaction "in favor of the protection of workers' fundamental rights in Bangladesh." Since the launch of CCC's campaign at the end of October 2023, six complaints have in fact been dropped by Bangladeshi suppliers.

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