A group set up to improve safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry after the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 is warning global fashion firms that they will have to stop sourcing from some factories if the watchdog is forced to close next week. The threat to the apparel sector, which accounts for the bulk of Bangladesh’s exports, comes at a precarious time for the country ahead of a bitterly contested election in December, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking another term.
“The consequences of a closure of the Accord liaison office in Bangladesh will be significant, immediate, and damaging,” said Joris Oldenziel, the deputy director of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
More than 200 firms – including the world’s top fashion retailers like Zara-owner Inditex (ITX.MC) and H&M (HMb.ST) – signed the legally-binding, five-year Accord after at least 1,100 people were killed when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed.

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