weighted score 5.9 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Bangladesh
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Bangladesh-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
7
Six TVPRA-listed products (bricks, dried fish, garments, leather, salt, shrimp). Child labour documented in brickmaking and dried fish processing. Forced labour indicators present in garment subcontracting.
Worker rights & FOA
7
ITUC rating 5 — no guarantee of rights. Independent union registration routinely blocked. Worker organisers face harassment and dismissal. Collective bargaining effectively absent in most factories.
OHS & audit transparency
7
Rana Plaza (2013, 1,134 deaths) and Tazreen (2012, 117 deaths) exposed systemic failures. International Accord has improved signatory factories but dark factories remain outside any oversight framework.
Food & product safety
6
Shrimp and seafood exports face elevated RASFF alerts. Antibiotic residue and hygiene violations documented. Garment chemical safety (AZO dyes, formaldehyde) requires buyer-driven testing programmes.
Environmental & regulatory
4
Tannery pollution in Dhaka (Hazaribagh relocation incomplete). Textile dyeing effluent poorly regulated. Limited environmental enforcement capacity. EUDR exposure minimal.
Governance & anti-corruption
8
TI CPI 25/100 — among lowest globally. Corruption endemic in customs, land administration, and regulatory enforcement. Material compliance risk under CSDDD and anti-bribery frameworks.
Tariff & preferential access
2
EU EBA duty-free access as LDC. LDC graduation expected 2026–2029 — significant tariff impact post-transition. US GSP suspended since 2013.
Non-tariff barriers
5
Customs procedures slow and unpredictable. Documentation complexity high. Informal payments at ports documented. Product testing requirements for EU market add cost and lead time.
Supply chain traceability
7
Dark factories endemic. Multi-tier visibility extremely difficult. Fibre-to-garment traceability requires dedicated investment. Subcontracting through intermediaries widespread.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- TVPRA listings
- Six Bangladeshi products appear on the US Department of Labor TVPRA List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor: bricks, dried fish, garments, leather goods, salt, and shrimp. This is one of the highest product counts in South Asia.
- Worker rights
- ITUC Global Rights Index rates Bangladesh at 5 (no guarantee of rights) — the worst category. Freedom of association is severely restricted. Independent trade union registration is routinely blocked. Worker organisers face documented harassment and dismissal.
- OHS & structural safety
- The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse (1,134 deaths) and 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire (117 deaths) exposed systemic occupational safety failures. The International Accord (successor to Bangladesh Accord) has driven measurable improvements in signatory factories, but dark factories — unregistered subcontractors operating outside any audit framework — remain a significant risk.
- Audit limitations
- Social audits in Bangladesh face credibility challenges including coached workers, falsified records, and limited access to subcontracted facilities. Buyers relying solely on announced audits face material compliance risk.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- EBA status
- Bangladesh benefits from EU Everything But Arms (EBA) — duty-free, quota-free access for all products except arms. LDC graduation expected 2026–2029 with a three-year transition period. Post-graduation tariff impact on garments will be significant.
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 applies from December 2027. Bangladesh's TVPRA listings and documented labour rights violations make garment, shrimp, and leather supply chains likely targets for Article 5 investigations.
- Governance & corruption
- Transparency International CPI score of 25/100 — among the lowest globally. Corruption pervades customs, land administration, and regulatory enforcement. This creates material compliance risk for buyers under CSDDD and anti-bribery frameworks.
Supply Chain Traceability
Supply Chain Traceability
- Dark factories
- Unauthorised subcontracting to unregistered factories — known as dark factories — is endemic in Bangladesh's garment sector. These facilities operate outside audit frameworks, with no visibility on working conditions, structural safety, or labour practices.
- Traceability challenges
- Multi-tier supply chain visibility is extremely difficult. Spinning, dyeing, and finishing operations are often subcontracted through intermediaries with no direct buyer relationship. Fibre-to-garment traceability requires dedicated investment beyond standard audit programmes.
- Non-tariff barriers
- Customs procedures are slow and unpredictable. Documentation requirements are complex. Informal payments at port and customs remain a documented concern.