A recent article published by The Guardian, framing the lives of female garment workers in Bangladesh between factory and brothel, is not only offensive but also a gross overgeneralization, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan has said. It risks overshadowing the remarkable transformation of women's empowerment propelled by the nation's RMG industry, he said in a statement, condemning the article that he said “defames women at work.” "It’s true that individual hardships exist, but framing women workers within a single struggle is potentially harming them by provoking radicalism, causing social stigma and mental illness," Faruque said. Such a narrative is a disservice to their lives and dreams they cherish, he said. “The report itself appears to be incorrect to us as it says that the mentioned female worker works for a large factory, it didn’t mention the name; and there is hardly any export-oriented garment factory located at the place as the report mentions, except for a few tailoring facilities catering to the local market only,” he said. “The report does not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes against women at work, but also defames an industry that employs millions of women and contributes significantly to national economy," said the BGMEA chief. Rest of the BGMEA chief's statement Consider this: in a moderate Muslim country, Bangladesh has emerged as a model in the region in women’s empowerment and gender parity, he said. “The World Economic Forum's recent Gender Gap Report places Bangladesh at the top in South Asia for gender equality for the 9th consecutive year, ranking the country 59th globally. “The labor force participation rate of women has soared from a mere 8% in 1983 to a remarkable 38% today. Read: Despite anticipated challenges in 2024, int’l market demand for RMG products could rise: BGMEA Director  “Women’s contribution to Bangladesh's GDP growth is estimated at a staggering 34% and it continues to rise. “For millions of less privileged women having less literacy and skills, the RMG industry is the first formal sector of employment. “Through this industry, women have emerged as the critical support for their families, achieving economic independence and social empowerment. “Early marriage and motherhood are declining, primarily education enrolment is on the rise and as per many experts, the industry has led to increase in girls’ schooling. “Maternal and child health, too, have gained momentum, nourished by improved nutrition and a heightened awareness of healthcare. “The ascent isn't confined to the shop floor. Women are scaling the ranks, their talents are gracing technical departments in the industry like industrial engineering, product designing and merchandising, as well as taking on leadership positions. “When they leave the factories, they leave footprints of entrepreneurial spirit, transforming into owners of their own businesses. Read: Sustainable fashion: Bangladesh's RMG sector leads with 24 new LEED green factories in 2023 “This industry has become a launchpad for leadership. “While writing a report remotely, without having proper understanding of the background and reality, to deliberately portray the bleak picture, one must acknowledge the broader narrative – millions of women rising from poverty, gaining skills, and forging a path towards brighter futures for themselves and their families. “Beyond all these, the industry has taken an unprecedented stance to support aspiring women workers to pursue their dream for higher education. “Currently around 90 young female RMG workers are pursuing higher studies in the Asian University for Women under the Pathways for Promise program. “While the girls pursue their bachelor studies with full scholarship from the university, the employer factories continue to pay the full wages to them throughout the entire tenure of their study. “The ‘promise’ is to make them fearless and think big. Not only that, through this industry women have got the opportunity to emerge as the critical support to the family. “There are numerous instances that the sons and daughters of workers are pursuing higher education in engineering, medical science and many more disciplines through the humble support of the factories. “This is our story, one of transformation, of empowerment, of women rising like threads on a loom, weaving a new Bangladesh. Let us move beyond sensationalized headlines and acknowledge the multifaceted reality of women at work. Read more: Milestone for RMG as Bangladesh becomes top source of Knitwear into EU market “Let us celebrate their achievements, address their challenges, and work towards a future where all Bangladeshi women can thrive, in factories and beyond. “Our garment workers are the heartbeat of our industry, and I, for one, find my strength in their courage, their resilience, and their unwavering spirit. They are the threads that bind our nation together, the driving force propelling us towards a future where gender is not a barrier, but a bridge – a future where Bangladeshi women stand tall, not just as workers, but as architects of their own destinies.”

A civil liberties organisation in New York is suing US President Joe Biden for allegedly failing in his duties under international and US law to prevent Israel from committing genocide in Gaza. The case filed by the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of multiple Palestinian groups and individuals said that Israel's acts, including "mass killings," targeting of civilian infrastructure, and forced expulsions, amount to genocide, reports The Guardian. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib accuses Biden of supporting genocide in Gaza, says colleagues more focused on silencing her According to the CCR, the 1948 international treaty against genocide demands the United States and other countries to utilise their strength and influence to put an end to the killings, it said. “As Israel’s closest ally and strongest supporter, being its biggest provider of military assistance by a large margin and with Israel being the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II, the United States has the means available to have a deterrent effect on Israeli officials now pursuing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” mentioned the complaint. Biden calls for humanitarian 'pause' in Israel-Hamas war The complaint, filed in federal court in California, seeks the court to prevent the United States from providing Israel with weapons, money, and diplomatic support. It also demands the president, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “to take all measures within their power to prevent Israel’s commission of genocidal acts against the Palestinian people of Gaza.” These include putting pressure on Israel to stop bombing Gaza, ease its siege, and prevent the forceful deportation of Palestinians, the report said. The CCR, which won a landmark case in the US Supreme Court in 2004 establishing the rights of prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay, stated that the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were abducted, does not provide legal justification for the scale of Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,600 children, and displaced 1.5 million people, it added. Biden wraps up his visit to wartime Israel with a warning against being 'consumed' by rage The case is being filed at the same time that the International Criminal Court is investigating Israel and Hamas for suspected war crimes. However, legal academics argue that genocide is a more difficult crime to establish and question whether the US president can be forced to conclude that Israel is committing genocide and so must intervene.

Asylum seekers in the United Kingdom who complain about poor conditions in Home Office assigned hotels were threatened with “being sent to Rwanda,” according to a new report by charity group Refugee Action. The report, titled “Hostile Accommodation: How the Asylum System Is Cruel By Design”, consists 100 in-depth interviews with asylum seekers conducted in hotels in London, Manchester, the West Midlands, and Bradford, reports The Guardian. It contains interviews with single persons and families, extensive casework records relating to problems in hotels and other asylum accommodations, and freedom of information (FOI) requests to council environmental health departments. In addition to being advised not to complain about terrible living conditions or expect deportation to Rwanda, asylum seekers were also told that if they complained about the quality of food supplied to them, police would be contacted. Read More: EU+ saw 1 million asylum applications, including record 34,000 from Bangladeshis, in 2022 They were also barred from taking photos of the food, it said. The system of housing asylum seekers, which presently accommodates over 50,000 people, is “a nationwide system of racialised segregation and de facto detention,” said the report. Asylum seekers are increasingly being kept in hotels for extended periods. One in every three people and one out of every four families with children stays in a hotel for more than a year. In one example, a family of six lived in a single room for over a year. The report cautioned that if the new immigration bill, now being debated in parliament, is passed, the situation would deteriorate. Read More: Online system to seek asylum in US is quickly overwhelmed Individual cases highlighted in the report include a wheelchair user trapped on the 11th floor of a hotel because of a malfunctioning lift and an accommodation contractor who advised a GP not to write a health support letter for an asylum seeker advocating for a transfer because it would put a strain on the contractor’s accommodation system. Infestations of pests and rodents were prevalent, as were moisture, mildew, and floods. Ceilings have also collapsed resulting in one woman holding a baby and a child being rushed to the hospital in two different occurrences. “The government is running a system of de facto detention – holding and segregating people seeking asylum in accommodation that is harming their mental and physical health. This demoralising and brutal system costs the taxpayer millions per day but creates huge profits for contractors who are too often failing to make their housing habitable,” said Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action. Read More: UNHCR issues non-return advisory for Afghanistan  “We do not recognise the claims in the report suggesting hospitalisations, threats of deportation or restriction of movements, but where concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered by the hotel we work with the provider to ensure they are addressed in a timely manner,” a UK Home Office spokesperson said.