Buyers ask two questions about clothing made in Bangladesh: is it good quality, and is it made responsibly? The honest answer to both is that it depends on the factory and on what the buyer specifies and pays for. Here is what the evidence shows, and how to make sure your own order is both.

Is the quality good?

Bangladesh is one of the world’s biggest clothing exporters: in 2022 it had a 7.9% share of world clothing exports, ahead of Vietnam, according to WTO data analysed by Dr Sheng Lu of the University of Delaware. Factories at that scale supply demanding international retailers, so the capability for high quality is there.

Quality still varies from factory to factory. What decides the quality of your garments:

  • The specification. Fabric weight and composition, stitch density, seam types and measurement tolerances in a clear tech pack.
  • Factory match. A factory that makes your product every day, such as a knit unit for t-shirts or a wash plant for denim, will beat a generalist.
  • Approved samples. A sealed pre-production sample that bulk is checked against.
  • Inspections. Fabric inspection before cutting, inline checks, and a final random inspection to AQL sampling (ISO 2859-1) before shipment.

Low prices usually mean lighter fabric, simpler construction or skipped checks, not a different country. See what drives the cost of a garment.

Is it ethical?

Safety has improved a great deal. The Rana Plaza collapse on 24 April 2013 killed more than 1,100 people, most of them garment workers. According to the ILO, about 3,780 export garment factories were then inspected for structural, electrical and fire safety, 39 were closed immediately as imminently dangerous, and the number of government factory inspectors grew from 92 to 393. Inspections continue under the RMG Sustainability Council and the National Initiative.

Wages remain the biggest concern. The minimum monthly wage for garment workers was raised to Tk 12,500 in late 2023. Unions had asked for Tk 23,000, and Human Rights Watch called the new rate a disappointing blow to workers’ right to an adequate standard of living. A 9% annual increment was agreed in December 2024.

Environmental performance is a strength. Bangladesh has more LEED-certified green garment factories than any other country, with 284 certified as of May 2026.

How to make sure your order is made responsibly

  • Know the exact factory producing your goods, and check its safety inspection status on the International Accord’s public list.
  • Ask for a recent social audit (SMETA, amfori BSCI, WRAP or SA8000) for that site; see which audit your buyer needs.
  • Prohibit unauthorised subcontracting in writing.
  • Pay prices that allow legal wages and overtime, and agree realistic delivery dates so the factory does not have to rush.

We name the factory before production and share its audits and safety records. Tell us what you want to make.

Sources

Checked . Rules and figures change, so confirm anything that affects your pricing.

  1. Sheng Lu, University of Delaware — WTO reports world textiles and clothing trade in 2022
  2. ILO — The Rana Plaza disaster ten years on: what has changed?
  3. Human Rights Watch — Is your brand paying its share to reduce Bangladesh workers’ wage despair? (16 November 2023)
  4. The Daily Star — All sides for 9% raise in minimum garment wage (9 December 2024)
  5. New Age — Total number of LEED-certified RMG factories now 284 (May 2026)
  6. International Accord — Bangladesh factories