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It seems to be a resort on 2.7 acres of land with fruit plants growing in abundance though it is encircled by polluted water on three sides the lavender water-hyacinth adds an extra beauty to the place.
If one doesn’t enter the small peninsula one never knows it is not a resort but a readymade garment factory located at Jalkuri of Narayanganj.
With a long green lawn, pond, garden and playground the place looks like a tidy garden house in a hell.
Even before entry to the piece of land, it is quite difficult for anyone to predict that around 600 workers work there.
The knitwear manufacturing factory Fatullah Apparels received the LEED Platinum Certification from the US Green Building Council on September 07.
It scored 97 out of 110 points, which was jointly table topper among the world with Remi Holdings, another readymade garment factory in Bangladesh. It has also individual record score among USGBC knitwear-certified factories.
“This achievement is not only for me but also for Bangladesh. Now we can say with pride that Bangladesh’s apparel industry is much safer than others,” Fatullah Apparels Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder Fazlee Shamim Ehsan told The Business Post.
“It was my dream that my factory would become one of the best eco-friendly factories in the world and accordingly I set it up in a planned way. Thanks to almighty that finally I achieved it,” he said boastfully.
He gave special thanks to LEED Consultant Keerthi of Environ Ltd and Architect Farzana of ARCHVIZ, as he said, who worked hard for this milestone achievement.
During this September, two other factories - Sharaf Apparels Washing and Dyeing Industries and Debonair and Orbitex Knitwear - also received LEED Platinum Certificates.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) data showed after receiving the certification of the three factories, now the country has 171 green certified apparel factories, a record compared to any other countries.
Not only Fatulllah Apparels and Remi Holdings but another six Bangladesh’s LEED-certified readymade garment factories are also at the top of the list of the ten. As many as 500 other factories are also awaiting certification, according to the BGMEA.
A son of a journalist family Ehsan entered the apparel sector in 1998 after his graduation at the NRI Institutes, Bangalore. After a few years of working in his family business, he bought an old factory and started his new journey as knitwear manufacturers.
“During this time, I did not have liquidity and this is why I had to lend working capital from my well-wishers. Sometimes I attended my office by local bus and every day the lenders pressurized me to return their money,” he said.
But he struggled with passion and after three years, he was able to pay off the loans.
Ehsan said everything was going well. But after Rana Plaza collapse, the situation of the country’s apparel industry started to decline. Buyers and civil society started putting pressure for workers’ safety.
Bangladesh witnessed LEED-certified factories before the collapse but many factories planned to transform their factories into green ones after the Rana Plaza collapse.
Ehsan started to learn about green factory establishment cost and other benefits from LEED-certified owners.
“Finally I planned to set up a green factory and bought a piece of land. On October 2017, I started construction and it was ready to go into operation on January 2019.”
On February 2019, Fatullah Apparels went into production.
Ehsan said he had to spend only 10 percent extra money compared to those of the factories that are not known as green factories.
“I strongly believe that if you follow all rules and regulation, you will get platinum certificate. I had to spend only Tk60 lakh extra to set up a green factory. Considering environment and country’s reputation, everyone should set up green factory,” he suggested.
The factory was set up on a two two-storey buildings - one is used for production and the other for administration. Electricity supply for both buildings came through renewable energy and national grid line. The factory reserves rain water.
It also has water filtering system. The factory is providing canteen facility to its workers.
Fatullah Apparels workers claimed that the factory comply with all codes of conducts of compliance, even they are also enjoying many extra facilities than other factories such as high wages.
Even when the government shut down all factories during the Covid-19 pandemic, the factory paid workers their full wages though the government instructed the factories to pay 65 percent salary.
“We get our wages in the first week of each month. During the pandemic, we received our salary on time,” Shahida Akter, a worker of Fatullah Apparels, told The Business Post.
Another worker Mafia Khatun said she received maternity benefit last Sunday. “When other factories forced workers to resign or go on unpaid leave during pregnancy this factory didn’t do so,” Mafia said.
Ehsan said: “Workers is our lifeline and we should ensure their right. My every worker is part of my family.”
