Kalpona Akter
CoordinatorPerson
Garment labor-rights organizer
“Former garment worker who became a leading voice for Bangladesh’s garment workers.”
A former garment worker who became a labor-rights organizer and helped found the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity (BCWS), advocating for worker safety, fair wages, and the right to organize.
Her public advocacy brought worker testimony and union participation into international debate after the Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza collapse, including campaigns for factory safety, compensation, and supply-chain accountability.
She represents the worker-led strand of Bangladesh’s garment-safety history and helped keep labor rights visible in discussions among brands, governments, and worker organizations.
bengalregional-historylabor-rightsgarment-workers
Details→Sumi Abedin
CoordinatorPerson
Tazreen survivor and labor-safety witness
“Tazreen survivor whose 2013 testimony connected worker experience to international garment-safety campaigning.”
A survivor of the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire whose testimony brought an injured worker's experience into international debates about garment-factory safety and buyer responsibility.
After escaping the fire, Abedin described the injuries and working conditions she experienced in public interviews and speaking appearances. In 2013 she joined labor-rights advocates in the United States and Australia to urge retailers to support binding fire and building-safety protections for Bangladeshi workers.
Abedin's documented role is that of a survivor-witness and campaign participant. Her testimony helped connect the human cost of Tazreen to wider arguments about worker voice, emergency exits, inspection, and accountability in global garment supply chains.
bengalregional-historylabor-rightsfactory-safety
Details→
