Document Type
Article
Abstract
Across garment factories in the Global South, the promise of “ethical fashion” coexists with poverty wages and retaliation. This study examines why the global call for decent work has not improved labor conditions in Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry. Twelve semistructured interviews with production workers were thematically analyzed through Critical Theory and Labor Process Theory. Five persistent problems emerged: wage manipulation, audit and compliance evasion, silencing of worker voice, restrictions on mobility, and the disposal of older workers. A single positive theme, workplace safety and child-labor prevention, showed limited progress. Overall, sustainability rhetoric remains symbolic while buyer cost pressures drive exploitation. The study urges brands to support living wages, adopt worker-centered audits, and sign binding agreements protecting freedom of association, while policymakers lower union barriers and expand worker welfare. By centering worker voices, the research highlights the gap between global sustainability commitments and local factory realities.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Sustainable Development, 2026.
Rights
© 2026 The Author(s). Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
APA Citation
Rana, Md. R. I. (2026). Hidden Costs of Ethical Fashion: Sustainable Development Goals and Garment Worker Exploitation in Bangladesh. Sustainable Development.https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.71025