Bangladeshi Worker Rights

Whether you are a fast fashion junkie or a slow fashion gourmand, there is no disputing that today’s fashion tragedies are not just about outrageous celebrity tastes or luxury brand designers with major burnout, but rather the crimes committed against the enslaved individuals who make our clothes under abysmal conditions.

With last week’s announcement in the New York Times about the torture and murder of Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi labor rights activist and former apparel worker, the garment production crisis was heightened like never before with global outreach efforts and activism seeming to be a moot point.

The loss of an outspoken individual like Aminul Islam is surely meant to strike fear into the hands and hearts of garment workers who produce goods for Western labels like Walmart, Tommy Hilfiger and H&M.

The ultimate tragedy exists in the apparent lack of meaningful involvement and unwillingness to issue statements after an event like this, particularly when a company like H&M has made a “conscious” decision to promote itself as an “ethical” fast fashion alternative (an oxymoron to some). Both Walmart and Tommy Hilfiger came forward to provide written statements via e-mail following the announcement of Aminul Islam’s brutal death, but H&M refused comment and did not seize the opportunity to highlight their commitment to improving abusive conditions for Bangladeshi workers.