The industry currently employs 13 million people, that’s almost 10% of its population and 20% of its labour force, what’s even more impressive is Bangladesh’s continuous growth. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
From a western perspective, it makes eminent economic sense to outsource garment manufacturing to countries with 1/20th of its minimum wage rates. The cost reduces dramatically and profits go through the roof. Last year, the West spent $200 billion on sourcing cheap garments from the developing world. The same were retailed for $1.0 trillion back home. This forms the very basis for global apparel trade.
Bangladesh earned $21 billion of revenues last year by exporting garments to the West. We earned $2.6 billion. This brought 90% of Bangladesh’s foreign exchange earnings. The industry currently employs 13 million people. That’s almost 10% of its population and 20% of its labour force. What’s even more impressive is Bangladesh’s continuous growth. In 2002, Pakistan and Bangladesh had identical export earnings from garments at $2.5 billion each. A 2011 Deloitte-Touche study predicts that Bangladesh’s garment industry shall rise to $40 billion by 2018. Few doubt this number. Even industrial disasters – such as Rana Plaza’s collapse last year that killed more than 1,200 workers or the fire at Tazreen shirt factory a year before that killed 112 – appear but small bumps on its road to growth.
The Bangladeshi garment workers drive hard wage bargains too. Often they ransack factories and go on strikes. They have a strong case. A trouser exported at $7.50 is retailed for $50. It contains $0.3 of labour component. Doubling the wages would hardly dent the profits of the western retailers; so goes their argument. The owners can pass these extra cents to the western buyers. Historically, this argument has always won. Since 2005, when their minimum wages stood at $18 per month, they have fought long and hard and won raises every two years. After last year’s successful standoff, their wages stand at $65 per month. Surprisingly, even these hikes have not stymied growth; the export numbers have kept increasing. This only tells how abysmally low and inconsequential the wages had been to begin with.
The bitter feud between Awami League and BNP/JI and their recurring power swaps are well known; but not so their reasons which remain baffling. More importantly, between the two quarrelsome ladies, the one not holding onto power gets to make the routine strike calls. These are twice a week when it’s merely posturing; even more when genuinely aggrieved. It is to the factories credit that they always blunt the destructive impacts of these strikes.
Dhaka, surrounded on three sides by rivers has mostly expanded northwards into the Ghazipur or in the southeast across Shitalakhshiya tiver into Narayanganj. Most factories are located in these two districts, 30 to 50 kilometres away from the city. On strike days, the senior staff living in Dhaka starts off at dawn. It’s when the baton charging and brick-throwing party goons paid to force the strike, lie asleep. Turning up at this hour is rewarded with a company breakfast and an hour long nap at their desks. By 8am, the workers who are mostly females, start arriving on foot from nearby villages. The goons only threaten motorised transport.
It is an astonishing sight when thousands of female workers throng at the factory gates. Quickly they swap their attendance cards with proximity chips that will automatically calculate their wages. Within minutes the factory floors start humming with sewing machines; one more day when capitalism triumphs over politics of confrontation.
The breakdown
Out of the $200 billion West spent on sourcing cheap garments, China holds $80 billion share while the next two contenders Turkey and Bangladesh hold $30 and $21 billion apiece while India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Pakistan jointly account for another $50 billion. China’s wage rates have crossed $1/hour and are climbing. Consequently, manufacturing garments at this wage rate is untenable. Its $80-billion slice is up for grabs.
The only countries that can pitch a matching labour capacity are India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They have millions of uneducated, unskilled and out of work labour force. Surprisingly, this industry thrives on them. With mundane tasks like pressing, folding or packing taking days to master and more skilled task like operating sewing machines a few weeks; the uneducated and unskilled workforce becomes productive quickly.
Not so for the Indians, their labour laws have always had a socialist bent and have favoured unionised labour. To circumvent labour unions Indian garment factories keep their sizes small; making them less attractive for garment manufacturing. This leaves Bangladesh and Pakistan the only places that can absorb the giant capacity China is shedding.
Reasons for our downfall
This $80 billion export boom would not touch us. Our security situation has kept most western visitors out of our country. Without their prolonged stay and intense interactions with our factories to develop fashion products each season, there is very little hope that we would touch anything beyond a couple of billion dollars. Security remains the single most important factor for stalling our apparel industry. Tragically, on all other factors of production we hold a clear competitive advantage over Bangladesh.
With our inability to fix security, stop wanton killings and kidnappings for ransom for westerners and stemming the tide of religious militancy, most Chinese spoils would continue going to Bangladesh. Apparently, nothing will stop its march. Ever escalating wages, horrific industrial accidents and politics of confrontation notwithstanding; Bangladesh shall keep growing its share of the global apparel market for decades more.
the writer is an entrepreneur who has worked in Bangladesh’s garment sector
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.
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COMMENTS (87)
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People of Bangladesh know that their country is a member of the group of LDC's. Keeping this fact in their mind, they are workign hard to provide free education for children, good healthcare. Bangladesh is working to reduce infant mortality and boost women impowerment. More and more girls are attending the schools in Bangladesh. Stats shows that girls are doing better than boys in the schools in Bangladesh. New generation of secular education is the future of the nation. Unlike Pakistan, the country is harvesting from the investment in secular education sector. The nation is expecting more improvement in the sector of education and health for women. Bangldesh has taken mega projects to generate electric power manyfolds to ensure unterrupted power supply to its growing industrial zones. Projects of billion dollars are being emplemented to improve the transportaion and communication infrstructues. The main hurdle in the road of development in Bangladesh is the policital unrest. The positive thing is that people know how to adjust their daily activities with the adverse political situation. They have develped strategy to keep wheels of development running even in bad situaions. Bangladesh is realistic in focussing on its needs; that is why Bangladesh has improved all the indices of human development better than Pakistan and India. GDP of Bangladesh is much smaller than Pakistan. But one day GDP of Bangladesh may exceede that of Pakistan if it can keep the present pace of economic development .For more than 10 years the rate of GDP growth is much higher than Pakistan. Pakistan can also boost up GDP growth if they can improve their security situation and keep their mighty army away from interference in politics.
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: We got National Spirit thanks to you guys and your destructive ways in 1971 and before that. Cheers.
@Tamil Arasan: Though the facts are correct but I feel there is no point bringing India into this as the article deals plus points of Bangladesh vs Pakistan
I was of the opinion that Tribune PK is a very reputed news agency in Pakistan...!! how come then they missed the fact that India is the second largest textile exporter in the world...!! India's textile export in 2013 is $.40 billion - and sure it will grow considerably in coming days due to an efficient and hard working PM NaMo is heading the country... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/India-overtakes-Germany-and-Italy-is-new-world-No-2-in-textile-exports/articleshow/35973054.cms
@Shamsher Singh Bajwa: ET, pls filter out these Indian hate spewing zealots. They just have a one track mind.
@Humza: Dear, By running down every neighbour country doing better and denying every short coming including self destructive terror and thumping that you are an atomic power you are not doing any good to your self. False pride is dangerous.
Pakistan Bomb is not digestible by super powers ....the only reason of unrest
@Murtaza Ghulam: You should hold up Bangladesh as your role model then. For your information all 3 rd world citizens are moving around in a globalized world looking for opportunity. The number one source of immigrants to North America are the Indians and Chinese who are leaving in droves. But how do you explain Bangladeshis illegally crossing to India and Pakistan which are supposed to be so poor according to you. Maybe they want to run away from the well paid garment jobs with the great working conditions you so envy? Maybe you can argue that Punjab has development, investment and security unlike other parts of the country but no one will deny that quality of life in Pakistani Punjab is much higher than Bangladesh. Maybe you need to get your head out of the sand and look at the real quality of life indices.
I am a Bangladeshi, Yes garments sector is doing extremely well, We are going to export about 30 billion just from garments this year. But garments is not our only export item. Bangladesh exports medicines, Ships,chemicals, agri products too. The backbone of our economy is still workers living abroad and sending money back home. Bangladeshs biggest income source is going to be exporting Softwares in coming years. I own a software company in Bangladesh. we are very hopeful about the future. The reason why Bangladesh is doing well is very simple.. education has spread all over the country and people think about themselves more then they think about religion. I believe religion is the root of all problems. Our major problem is infrastructure and bad neighbors. WIth a 7.1% GDP , we are looking ahead for a better future.
Well pak is still better at quality. Im a freight forwarder and do alot of exports of garmenta such as nike abercrombie tommy levis JC adidas and i have bangladeshi and hkg friends i gave them garments as gift and they claim theae r at least cam bw used for many season its cotton and yarn my friend which we produce
To all the haters i will ask to see growth of Vietnam and Combodia they r doing better and exporting expensive brands merchendise and u compare urself to China now read again China standa at 80bn which is total income of 70% of indian families my friend.
According to u india have no match to pak now you r right in the ratio of gang rapes and popultion pak cant compete u guys and modi nailed it by saying toilets first as half of indians dont have access to sanitation and clean drinking water. Over the yeara in Pak i hardly know a family who is sleeping without have dinner alhamdulillah we r blessed with our own crops and grains we r not iran or iraq. This artificial boom will end for u my friends when modi will start diplomacy soon because as they call it 'dhobi ka......ghar ka na ghaat ka" world is wise now
Pakistani government needs to stop supporting mindless religiosity and instead focus more on economic reforms. While Pakistanis need to get over their obsession with Islam, and instead make learning science, technology, and mathematics a priority for every child.
Now let's be honest here: no country is better than us because we are the world's only nuclear, Sunni-majority, Islamic country. Our greatness thus lies in the fact that we have both Allah and nucleus technology on our sighed.
@observer: The biggest military spender in South Asia is India and despite that India still has lots of issues. Bangladesh is hardly the success story the author makes out given the political turmoil and slave labour conditions. Tell me any Pakistani who would want to move to Bangladesh to live and work? I am sure the same isn't true about Bangladeshis offered chance to come to Pak.
@shabby
The reality is Bangladeshis tell others proudly they are Bangladeshis. Unlike Pakistanis who lie they are Indians to avoid attention. Bangladesh as a country live wih dignity and honor. The same cannot be said of Pakistan and Paksitanis.
Only today reports have emerged that India is the second biggest exporter of textile only second to china by exporting textiles worth $40 billion in the previous year. I am not sure what figures have been reported in this article. http://profit.ndtv.com/news/economy/article-india-pips-italy-germany-to-become-second-largest-textile-exporter-390298
@Mir bash Hindus dont have fighting in their religion and culture. Our heros dont fight war for occupying , but just to defend. Just when point is proved, our heros didnt loot the public Lord Ram won, but didnt capture kingdom, Lord Parshuram won, lord Krishna left kingdom, Lord Buddha left kingdom and even later king Chandragupt won, King Ashok won but left the kingdom and adopted way of non violence. We dont have that fighting and killing sprite (sorry spirit ). You are right.
I just read
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/economy/article-india-pips-italy-germany-to-become-second-largest-textile-exporter-390298
Good article. Someone trying to shake up and argue about ease of business etc. However, when comparing performance to India, I think this misses a big factor, preferential treatment for Bangladeshi and Pakistani textiles in EU/ US etc. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-02-06/news/470898511textiles-industry-textiles-sector-textiles-ministry
Still a laudable article in the sea of political rhetorics
@ Humza At least Bangladesh is progressing. Even though it is heavily populated and suffers from huge natural disasters its economy is still growing. Give them credit for their achievements. We should be doing much better than Bangladesh. But tell me who wants to invest in Pakistan. Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines are more investor friendly. Investors risk being kidnapped or killed if they come here. Our population is exploding and may be one day we will be as densely populated as Bangladesh. Like Bangladeshis we are also migrating. Do you see us in the next ten or twenty years matching Bangladesh given our current setup. Get your head out of the sand.
@Rahul: Not a useful comment there now, Mr Rahul? is it?
All this has nothing to do with low wages. If US$0.3 out of US$7.5 means just 4% of the exported products cost, then the West can afford a wage rise without too much flutter. The point is that Pakistan exports its grey yarn for BD to finish a fabric and then a garment. We must concentrate on producing finished fabrics and garments. It is as simple as that.
I am overwhelmed by the debate this article has generated and very grateful to the readers for their insights. A word about the Indian export figures. Much of these figures are true. India does export textiles worth $40 billion while Pakistan exports textiles worth $13.0 billion. Garments are off course a much tinier part of these textile exports which include home textiles, towels, fabrics, denim fabrics and household textile madeups yarns etc. It was always the garment exports portion that I had been referring to in the article and not textiles.
@observer: Your observations are spot on. Bangladesh is totally focused on development whereas Pakistan mostly on its defence which is major difference between the two. Pakistan needs to understand that normalising relations with India shall cut down its defence expenditure to less than half and country's economy can be brought back on the rails. In order to achieve the same, Pakistan needs review its decades old policy of exporting terror across its borders which is the major obstacle in improving relations with its neighbours and the same has brought more misery at home than its neighbours especially India. Modi, whose main focus is on development would reciprocate Pakistan's positive response which shall be a win-win scenario for both countries.
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: we have pepsi !!
@shabby: Is this the SPRITE that is lacking in Pakistanis
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: But you have Coco Cola,Pepsi,Miranda,Mountain dew and various other soft drinks.Sprite will not be missed.
Yeah whoever that troll is using the exact same name and posting comments with Sonia K... Trying to shame me or too shamed to use your own name.... be it Pakistani or Indian!
Btw @adds we accept our ground realities better than u think.... we just don't bring those nutters to power and give them titles and hope for a better future... intelligence is relative....
these words fit History of BD (1947-2014). "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win." - Mohandas Ghandi" We must find the Answer in it.
Just wait for Modinomics to take hold. India will give China a run for its money. He'll deal with the economy and the terrorists with an iron hand. Shri.Manmohan Singh failed to do - at least in his final tenure.
*textile
@Iced Spore: i think the article is dealing with ready-made garments aka apparels while you are mentioning textile,which includes all kinds of fabric.so in a way apparel or ready-made garments is a sub category of garments and its a rapidly expanding market.
Only one reason.....there is no ISI in Bangladesh.
@ Author, some of the figures appear incorrect. The worlds largest textile exporter is China, with an estimated value of US$ 274 Billion in 2013. The second is India estimated at US$ 40B in 2013, followed by Germany and France. Bangladesh has done exceedingly well, growing at 18% vs. total global market growth at 6%.
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: Bangladesh may have more sprite but Pakistan has more national spirit! Can you honestly compare the living status of Bangladesh with Pakistan? Garment industry in Bangladesh may be source of pride but overall the conditions there are definitely not better.
Arranged English democracy in Islamic Pakistan let nowhere to go
Bangladesh is outstripping Pakistan in the economic, education, health and political areas fast. This is due to the fact that while Pakistan spends about 65% of its national income ( and about 10% of GD) on the military (salaries, pension, debt servicing on past purchases of military hardware etc.), BD spends a pittance of its national income (12%) and GDP (1.1%) on the military and is thus able to invest more in development, education and healthcare.
Rahul, Hindus are only for Raam Raam . You need courage to fight ,We have BOMB which is main cause of irritation for World , only Islamic state to have it so We are prepared to face the hardships ,,,,Pakistan Zindabad
Just because Bangladeshi workers will produce garments for less money than a Pakistani would take is hardly grounds to want to emulate them! When the world finds even poorer workers, they will shift there again. I don't want this type of industry as part of Pakistan's future but a real industrial and technical base for the economy. I wish the best for Bangladesh but only when I stop seeing the mass migration of Bengalis into neighboring India or to the city of Karachi will I believe that their economy is doing well. Since the Rana tower collapse, the world has linked Bangladesh to inhuman work conditions and cheap labour. Climate change pressures and abject poverty are not going to change any time soon in Bangladesh but Bangladeshis are trying to improve which is commendable. Their situation cannot be compared to Pakistan. Pakistanis must focus instead on developing a skilled work force that can make technological goods. Pakistan is one of the few Muslim states that has the ability to build jets and more.
@Rahul:
You nailed it my friend.
Pakistan has Bhatta and corruption with government institution 's.' Pakistan just maintain and not doing anything seriously to route out Bhatta and Government institution corruption. How many guards and chowkidar do industries need. Beside productivity is poor. We need serous Reform and seriously stop visitation by government institutions employees. We need Reform Fast, Not more Taxation. Industries do have needs which need to be addressed. PPP governing years brought no reform beside the government bent upon Socialism which not helping the industries. Look at SITE area, it is becoming dangerous, roads not repaired, new infrastructure not building, poor governance by Sind Government which is bringing bad name to SITE,Sind, and Pakistan. One gets looted at traffic signals.
Article is titled "Why Bangladesh is doing better than Pakistan" and you chose to focus only on the textile industry? I'm a bit disappointed.
India is now second largest textile exporting nation next to china with $40.2billion dollar export. kindly check this fact on internet. the idea from writer that india will not be able to make it cuz of labor issue is proved false
In most garment exporting countries, women form the bulk of the workforce. 3rdRockFromTheSun may be correct. Not too sure that even if terrorism vanishes by magic tomorrow, things can change too much
What author has not brought out is that Bangladesh is more or less secular who took stern action against the fanatics which has the made the country more stable and peaceful than Pakistan. Pakistan needs to take a cue from its former brother who was treated with contempt which caused the separation, is now much a ahead in all fields except cricket. Peaceful conditions at home, focusing on economy and following a policy of non-interference towards its neighbours can take Pakistan to new heights.
I have a bangladeshi friend who told me that these days their country is doing very well. Came as a pleasant surprise. Wish them luck!
"It is an astonishing sight when thousands of female workers throng at the factory gates. "
This should be a clue to a key difference too!
India is 2nd largest exporter guys!! ET plz study matter before posting thank you! http://m.economictimes.com/industry/cons-products/garments-/-textiles/india-worlds-second-largest-textiles-exporter-un-comtrade/articleshow/35958852.cms
In bangladesh government work to serve the intersts of its people. In Pakistan the government is least interested in serving the people but persuing megalomanic view of Serving Islam and being a superpower in the world.
Sick of extortion, strikes, power outages etc. a big chunk of Pakistani garment producers have moved their factories to Bangladesh as well.
Pakistan has never regained investor confidence that was destroyed during the nationalization of industries in the 1970's. Some Pakistani industrialists have even invested in BD itself and are making substantial profits. So long as the wadera culture dominates in Pakistan, industrial development and export potential would remain stunted.
@Rahul: Nonsense!
Nice article - but as China's wages increase the same principle will apply to plenty of other items China mfg for the West. There is a real opportunity for Pakistan to gain much of that production - but those products are sold to the West and Western buyers don't like to spent time in countries which are known for terrorism and have anti Western bias. Like it or not years of govt sponsored anti Western/USA blather may have removed you from contention from what could have been a major boon.
NO, U r neglecting the main factors like Terrorism, image, Electricity, Gas etc due to this we don't get contracts, projects, there r many friends of mine works in garment factories
@Sonia K Well, you see Sonia if Mr Modi who according to you is a terrorist can bring a lot of investments in India , make good reforms etc , then its better to elect a pro business terrorist . The entire world knows about Pakistan and the terrorist groups based over there . I would suggest it's high time you accept the ground reality of Pakistan .
Pakistan is still ruled by dumb khakis while Bangladesh is ruled by the people.
ok , But you can not compare the living standard. Most of the Bangalis are living like animals .
In Saudi Arabia MA /Msc worker came to me for Bathroom cleaning . When I was manager in PALACE .
Pakistani are still much much better . God bless us
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali:
No Sprite is an American brand.
So what if us pakistanis export terrorism..... we still have masters like America and China throwing scraps as us..... can India say the same?..... no it cant
After Modi has come to power, the equation has changed.
India will gain investment at the cost of its neighbours says, not me, but the Wall Street Journal.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/06/02/asian-frontier-markets-may-lose-out-amid-indias-post-election-boom/
"Shitalakhshiya tiver" may be corrected to read "river" in para 5 of the above story. Thanks.
@Pakistani: What is SPRITE, if not something to mix with "spirit"? FANTAstic to know that you did not think I was responding to Muhammad Rizwan Ali.
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: lols @SPRITE... we have Pepsi instead... ;)
@Rahul
Welcome to being a terrorist, called a terrorist, even electing a terrorist. .... atleast Pakistan and Afghanistan didn't do that. .... Indians go far ahead of everyone don't they..... with Modi... and u got an intelligent one ....
Investment in textile sector has already been started. Industrial Park near Motorway is an example of this. Hopefully, situation will improve in 3-4 years alongwith electricity situation.
@Rahul: With Modi at the helm of affairs, India is no the new player in RSS terror exporting bandwagon, easily beats Pakistan.
@Muhammad Rizwan Ali: @Strategic Asset: 'National SPRITE', is this is new form of fizzy drink by Sprite. The correct word is Spirit.
Pakistan economy though not going through the best of time, picking pace of late is still almost twice the size of Bangladesh economy. I am not mentioning the undocumented economy which makes it larger. The economy of Pakistan is the 26th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), and 44th largest in terms of nominal GDP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EconomyofPakistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EconomyofBangladesh
Lot of Pakistani textile tycoons have invested heavily in Bangladesh, because of labor cost factor and security, and energy. Posting good profit for them as well as for the Bangladesh in dollar value. A win win situation.
Bangladesh is doing better than not just Pakistan, but India as well. Posted 7.1% GDP growth rate last year, compared to India at 4.6-4.8%. But still a long way to go.
everyone needs to get on board and work with everyone else; this includes: 1. Govt 2. SBP 3. Investors 4. Creditors 5. Labour unions 6. FBR 7. WAPDA/KESC
in Pakistan, for the owner following are the challenges: 1. Skilled labour 2. Cheap and competitive credit 3. Reliable electricity supply
for the labour, following are the challenges: 1. high inflation rate 2. low wages
Basically its a chicken and egg problem: Owner: produce more, higher quality goods within budget and time; get paid more Labour: pay more and have increased production within time and budget
On the other hand, inflation is so high, that no industry, even those with white-collar jobs, cant sustain human resources for long-term. Inflation is high because of monetary expansion which is due to fiscal deficit, which is high because of tax evasion....also, the SBP has had a banking sector consolidation policy since atleast a decade now, which is not helping credit growth....
its just extremely problematic and complicated...
While as a Pakistani, Rahul's comments may sound offensive to many of us but unfortunately this is the harsh ground reality. Until and unless, we address the terror/ law and order issues, no foreign buyer is going to visit us. While we continue on our merry ways of spreading terror all across the region, the world has already left us behind.
Pakistan is islamic and Bangladesh is secular. Isnt that reason enough for Bangladesh to be better.
@Khan:Never face the truth and deny every thing and any thing. Shoot the messenger. See what is happening to the media and moderates who are being denied their say. Yes you should be happy the way you are living under the shadows of guns and grenades.
@meh: Look at the huge huge mirror called "THE WORLD" and you may see thousands of proofs floating around. Yes subject to "If you would like to see then only"
Exhibit A of what a paid troll sounds like --> @Rahul
In 2013, UK Gvt funded research (DFID, Capturing The Gains) found the reason: Bangladesh real wage came down 43% in a decade contrast with your idea: "This only tells how abysmally low and inconsequential the wages had been to begin with."
Manchester University research said one of the causes is lack of professional labour costing and Industrial Engineering. Based on this finding Walmart chose to adopt Sri Lanka based SewEasy IE system for transparent labour costing to achieve sustainability.
do u have any proof? if yes than make such statements otherwise be careful before make such ridiculous comments@Rahul:
@Saad: maybe they do it order to make to listen to the harsh reality! Kudos to Bangladesh by the way, we can all learn from them!
writer has very rightly said "Our security situation has kept most western visitors out of our country. Without their prolonged stay and intense interactions with our factories to develop fashion products each season, there is very little hope that we would touch anything beyond a couple of billion dollars. Security remains the single most important factor for stalling our apparel industry." And if we analyze the past it emerges that Bangladesh has been able to achieve this only under civil leaderships. The country is not hung up with right wing Islam and that does not mean they are less Muslims then others and are also not overly seized by imaginary threats from all around. They try to live with peace and quiet and carve their way in future of prosperity. Sure they are good and proud.
Bangladesh offers a very good case study for Pakistan. And I don't think that Pakistan can ever see development of the service sector and utilization of its labour force because of the prevalent feudalism in the society. Everyone, from the factory owner to the policy maker are simply the feudal Lords. How do you expect any justice to the workers. A clear example of such systems in place, just search online for any narrative written by people working in the gulf countries, now they have a strong fist on the labour cuz the labour comes from other countries, and they snatch their passports, which means they are forced to comply. That's not the case in Pakistan
On the contrary, me thinks Pakistanis have too much NATIONAL SPRITE compared to Bangladeshis.
I wonder why ignorant off-topic hateful and vile comments posted by Rahul gets thru ET's comment policy.
Bangladesh is not a failed state like Pakistan, its a developing country **
Pakistan makes a pretty good living exporting terror and holding the world hostage. Making and exporting garments sounds like a lot of hard work!
This article is a wake up call to both India and Pakistan. Ultimately their dysfunction is letting the poor down in both countries. Modi seems to understand what is ailing India, let us see if he is able to do anything about it. Nawaz Sharif cannot seem to decide whether to hunt with the hounds or run with the hares. Alternatives to Nawaz Sharif such as Imran Khan do not inspire much confidence either.
they have NATIONAL SPRITE , we dont have,