Ministries asked to ensure compliance, human rights

Bangladesh ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan on Wednesday urged the ministries of commerce, industries and textiles to upgrade environmental compliance and human rights at factories adapting to the new German supply chain law.

The New Due Diligence Law of Germany will come into effect from January 2023 for companies with more than 3,000 employees.

It will also be applicable to companies with 1,000 workers from January 2024.

Human rights and environmental protection measures related to the emission of noise and water consumption in production and in the whole supply chain would be assessed under the new law.

The envoy made the call while addressing an International Webinar on “German Due Diligence Act – Implications for Manufacturers and Exporters in Bangladesh” organised by Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Nearly 200 reputed personalities from Bangladesh, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA participated in the webinar and made their opinions on the German Due Diligence Act, said a media release issued by the business chamber.

Karl Borgschulze, Managing Director of Consulting Service International Ltd (CSI), Manfred Junkert, General Manager of HDS/L, Mathias Diestelmann, Rabea Schafrick, Head of Sustainability of Brand Fashion Germany, Matthias Rosenthal, Vice-President, Product Service Division of TÜV SÜD, Asif Ashraf, Director of BGMEA, Amrita Makin Islam, Deputy Managing Director of Picard Bangladesh Limited, among others, addressed the event.

Shahed Akhtar, Executive Advisor and CEO of Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, moderated the webinar while Tarun Patwary, Humayun Kabir FCA, CEO, Shinepukur Ceramics, and Tauseef Al Mahmud, Vice President of Walton, also spoke.

In his address as the chief guest, Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the RMG sector in the country is well-organised and businessmen are well aware of the law.

The new supply chain act will affect more on German business rather Bangladesh’s if precautionary measures are not taken up, he warned.