OP-ED & Interviews

The project is Beijing’s big experiment in outsourcing, and a $10 billion shot in the arm for the African nation—if there isn’t a civil war first.

Black Panther, the sensational Hollywood film that tells the story of the fictional African civilisation of Wakanda, has now grossed more than $1bn in global sales.

The government of Bangladesh has recently formed a new wage board for the readymade garment (RMG) industry where 4.4 million workers are currently employed.

After it graduated from Least Developed Country status in July 2016, Cambodia’s economy has remained healthy with a GDP growth rate of 6.9 per cent in 2017. This was driven by the recovering tourism sector, the ongoing construction boom and the gradual emergence of non-textile exports.

Between 2001 and 2015, India’s textile and apparel exports nearly quadrupled from $10.7 billion to $41 billion. It actually doubled to $20 billion in 2005 from 2001 and then took another 10 years to touch $40 billion.

Women's participation in the labour force has increased manifolds over time in Bangladesh. Compared to 4 percent in 1974, female participation in the labour force has increased to 35.6 percent in 2016.

Mauritius may have a reputation as a tropical paradise, but for thousands of migrants working in its factories, it represents a limbo of debt and bonded labour.

Export diversification has proven to be a formidable task for Bangladesh. If anything, export concentration—more specifically, dependence on readymade garments (RMG)—has increased further.

The Narendra Modi government has made two major interventions in the economic sphere, demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the ostensible aim of expanding the formal sector at the expense of the informal.

The formation of Accord and Alliance in 2013 and their activities for workplace safety in the RMG sector have led to important organisational learning for Bangladesh.