Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

A ‘Climate of Fear’ in Fashion’s Supply Chains

The killing of a union leader in Bangladesh this summer has heightened anxiety over the risks facing labour organisers amid a broader, often violent, crackdown on labour rights.

Activist of National Garment Workers Federation Stage a Protest rally demanding justice for Garment workers leader Shahidul, Rabiul Islam and Rabiul killing, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 14, 2023 — Labour groups staged a protest rally in Bangladesh following the killing of union leader Shahidul Islam in June. (Getty Images)

Sarah Kent

08 September 2023

Early in the evening of June 25, Bangladeshi union leader Shahidul Islam paid a visit to a factory in the garment industry hub of Gazipur on the outskirts of Dhaka. His goal was to settle a dispute over unpaid wages at one of the local clothing factories, a common issue in fashion’s global supply chain. He never made it home.

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About the author

Sarah Kent

Sarah Kent is Chief Sustainability Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. She is based in London and drives BoF's coverage of critical environmental and labour issues.

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A ‘Climate of Fear’ in Fashion’s Supply Chains

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