Bangladesh’s garment exports need a toxic-chemical strategy

Bangladesh's garment industry faces a challenge that extends beyond production costs, labour standards and access to international markets: the environmental and public health risks associated with hazardous industrial chemicals.

Recent findings from textile-producing communities in Ashulia and Savar suggest that chemical pollution deserves greater attention in Bangladesh's industrial development strategy. The issue concerns the long-term sustainability of industrial production, the protection of workers and communities, and the credibility of responsible supply chains.

A community-based study conducted by the Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) and Health and Environment Justice Support (HEJSupport), with partner organisations including FEMNET, detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chlorinated paraffins, nonylphenols and heavy metals in environmental samples.

The reported concentrations warrant serious scrutiny.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in water samples at 2.13 and 2.99 micrograms per litre, while perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) reached 2.78 micrograms per litre. The study compared these results with US Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water limits and reported concentrations hundreds of times higher.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins reached 65.83 micrograms per litre in one wastewater sample, nearly three times the wastewater limit referenced by the researchers. Nonylphenol was detected at 76.43 micrograms per litre, more than 250 times the European Union drinking-water value cited in the report.

The study also recorded lead concentrations of 114.64 parts per million in agricultural soil, exceeding the Bangladesh threshold of 100 ppm cited by the researchers. Human hair analysis identified elevated mercury concentrations in some residents.

These findings do not establish that every factory contributes equally to pollution, nor do they independently demonstrate that a particular facility caused specific health problems. They do, however, indicate the need for more comprehensive investigation, transparent reporting and effective chemical management.

Contaminated water and soil can affect agriculture, household water supplies and community health. Workers facing hazardous exposure may require medical care or lose working days. Families may face additional expenses, while public institutions carry part of the burden of environmental damage. These costs matter to industrial competitiveness. An industry cannot remain sustainable by shifting the costs of production onto workers, communities and the public health system.

Pollution creates hidden economic costs

Industrial pollution is often treated as an environmental externality, but its consequences can reach far beyond factory boundaries.

Contaminated water and soil can affect agriculture, household water supplies and community health. Workers facing hazardous exposure may require medical care or lose working days. Families may face additional expenses, while public institutions carry part of the burden of environmental damage.

These costs matter to industrial competitiveness. An industry cannot remain sustainable by shifting the costs of production onto workers, communities and the public health system.

Chemical management should therefore be considered an integral part of Bangladesh's industrial policy, rather than a separate regulatory obligation.

For an export-oriented sector, environmental performance also matters to supply-chain accountability. International buyers and brands need credible information about chemical use, wastewater treatment and environmental risks in the communities where their products are manufactured.

A factory's compliance documents cannot, on their own, establish that its environmental impacts are adequately controlled. Effective oversight requires independent testing, reliable treatment systems and transparent monitoring.

From compliance to cleaner production

Bangladesh should establish a stronger, evidence-based approach to hazardous chemicals in textile-producing areas.

First, the government should commission independent environmental assessments across Ashulia and Savar. Monitoring should cover wastewater, rivers, canals, groundwater, agricultural soil and other relevant exposure pathways. Testing protocols and findings should be made publicly accessible, subject to appropriate protections for personal and confidential information.

Second, factories should maintain transparent chemical inventories and progressively replace hazardous substances with safer alternatives where technically feasible. Wastewater treatment plants must be assessed for actual performance, not simply for their existence.

Third, worker protection must become a central part of chemical management. Employees should know which substances they handle, understand the associated risks and have access to appropriate protective measures. Health surveillance should also be developed for workers and nearby communities.

Fourth, international brands and buyers should exercise meaningful environmental due diligence across their supply chains. This includes identifying risks, supporting corrective action and ensuring that the costs of cleaner production are not unfairly transferred to workers or smaller suppliers.

Finally, the government and industry should develop a coordinated strategy for chemical monitoring, enforcement and technical support. Smaller factories may require assistance to adopt safer processes, but financial and technical constraints should not become a justification for continued pollution.

Protecting public health is an industrial investment

Bangladesh's garment industry remains essential to employment and export earnings. Stronger environmental safeguards should reinforce this economic foundation, not undermine it.

The findings from Ashulia are a warning that industrial development needs to account for the full costs of production. Further investigation is necessary to establish the extent and sources of contamination, but delaying action until every uncertainty has been resolved would be a mistake.

A cleaner industrial sector can better protect its workforce, reduce environmental liabilities and demonstrate that export success is compatible with responsible production.

Bangladesh should make hazardous-chemical management a core element of its industrial competitiveness strategy. The objective is not merely to meet a standard on paper. It is to ensure that the communities supporting industrial growth are not left to pay for its environmental consequences.

The long-term strength of Bangladesh's garment industry will depend not only on what it exports, but also on how responsibly it produces it.

Dr Shahriar Hossain is an environmental scientist and social justice advocate working on pollution, toxic chemicals, public health and sustainable development.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Business Standard.