The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) began its journey on 1 June 2020 as the national, tripartite successor to the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety. Its establishment signaled a shift from an externally driven, crisis response model to a homegrown, institutionalized system of safety governance. Over the past five years, the RSC has worked to uphold the Accord’s hallmark features, technical consistency, transparency, and worker-centric protections, while integrating them into Bangladesh’s regulatory framework and industrial landscape.
Institutional Structure and Key Stakeholders
The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) is structured as a national tripartite body, bringing together three key constituencies: garment manufacturers represented by BGMEA and BKMEA, global brands and retailers that are signatories to the International Accord, and both national and international trade unions. Operating under a license from the Ministry of Commerce, the RSC works in close coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE). The International Labour Organization (ILO) played a pivotal role during the transition, ensuring uninterrupted continuation of inspections, remediation standards, and worker engagement mechanisms essential for maintaining a credible safety governance system (ILO Bangladesh; International Accord).
Role of the International Accord
According to publicly available International Accord reports, the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry traces its origins to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, signed on 15 May 2013 in direct response to the Rana Plaza collapse. It was initially pioneered by two global trade unions IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, who negotiated the agreement with leading global brands and retailers to establish the first legally binding framework for factory safety in the RMG sector. The original Accord was joined by over 200 international brands, multiple Bangladesh trade unions, and was developed in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Built on this foundation, the 2018 Transition Accord renewed and expanded commitments, ultimately paving the way for establishing a permanent national body the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) to implement Accord mandated inspection, remediation, worker training, and complaints mechanisms within Bangladesh. In September 2021, the agreement evolved into the International Accord, broadening its mandate to include general health and safety and embedding stronger human rights due diligence obligations across signatory supply chains. The new Accord retained all core features of its predecessor independent inspections, transparent remediation, enforceable consequences for non compliance, and a protected worker complaints system, while confirming that these obligations in Bangladesh would continue to be operationalized through the RSC.
The International Accord’s influence expanded beyond Bangladesh when, in December 2022, it was extended to Pakistan through the legally binding Pakistan Accord, marking a shift toward enforceable, transnational safety governance rather than voluntary corporate social responsibility initiatives.
RSC’s Years of Credible Contribution
Since its establishment, the RMG Sustainability Council has advanced workplace safety through the combined efforts of its eight operational departments, each contributing distinct improvements across the sector. The Engineering Department strengthened structural, fire, and electrical safety through rigorous inspections and high quality remediation oversight, while the Remediation and Verification teams helped factories close thousands of CAP findings with increasing efficiency each year. The Training and Capacity Building Department expanded worker empowerment through safety training and committee activation, complemented by the Complaints Mechanism Department, which resolved a growing volume of worker grievances using transparent, rights based protocols. In parallel, the IT, and Engagement departments enhanced digital dashboards, public disclosure, and due diligence ready analytics, enabling brands and regulators to track progress in real time. Together, these departmental achievements reflect the RSC’s evolution from a transition body into a mature, nationally embedded safety institution.
RSC and Other Global Safety Councils
Independent evaluations have found the RSC outperforms voluntary models like the Alliance (2013–2018) by operating under a legally binding framework anchored in the International Accord delivering independent inspections, enforceable remediation, and real consequences for non compliance. As documented by the International Accord (2021) and ILO transition reports National Initiative mechanisms under the RCC cover non signatory factories but move slower and enforce less consistently. The Pakistan Accord mirrors the Accord–RSC model, reinforcing Bangladesh’s position as the reference standard for credible, enforceable factory safety governance. (ILO; CPD; International Accord).
Stakeholder Expectations for the Next Stage
Over the long term, the RSC will be expected to translate its Accord anchored strengths into a future ready, one stop safety governance model results oriented, data driven, and a pathfinder for safety culture across the industry. The goal is for rights and safety to become built in, not bolted on embedded deeply in every factory and felt by every worker so that improvement is continuous, stress free, and aligned with global trends and due diligence requirements. In this next chapter, the RSC is expected to act not only as an inspector or enforcer, but as a standard setter for the garment sector.
Conclusion
RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) transformed Bangladesh’s post Rana Plaza safety architecture into a durable, nationally embedded institution. What began as a transition mechanism has matured into a trusted center of excellence for safety governance, one that continues to uphold the Accord’s legacy of independence, transparency, and worker protection.
As the RSC’s present chapter, its strengthened management and leadership team stands as a defining force. The renewed leadership, backed by unparalleled coordination among the tripartite constituencies manufacturers, global brands, and trade unions has fostered an environment of strategic unity and mutual accountability. This alignment has strengthened operational coherence across the RSC, supporting consistent progress toward shared tripartite goals. Like any tripartite institution, RSC operates within a complex ecosystem that requires continuous coordination among diverse stakeholders.
The question ahead is no longer whether the RSC model works; it undeniably does. The challenge and opportunity now lie in expanding its universality, deepening its sustainability, and futureproofing its systems. With cohesive leadership, a data driven operational model, and stronger integration with national regulatory bodies, the RSC is positioned to evolve from a safety monitor into a global benchmark setter. Its mission is clear: to embed safety and rights as everyday culture, not crisis responses, across every tier of the supply chain, while aligning with broader labor rights reforms and emerging due diligence expectations.
In this next phase, the RSC’s present leadership will be shaping a future where safe, respectful, and empowered workplaces are not just obligations but industry standards within Bangladesh and as an example for garment producing nations worldwide.
Author: Md. Mahfuz Ul Bashar/9/3/2026
Disclaimer: The views presented in this article are the author’s own and drawn from publicly available data, and do not represent official RSC policy unless otherwise referenced.
