Bangladesh's garment industry drives river pollution to critical levels, report finds
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Bangladesh's garment sector, which generates nearly 80 percent of the nation's export earnings, is causing severe environmental damage to local rivers, according to a report by The Daily Star citing World Bank data.
The report highlights that over 7,000 factories in the greater Dhaka region discharge approximately 2.4 billion liters of untreated industrial effluent daily into surrounding water bodies. Lapses in domestic legal enforcement allow international fashion brands to capitalize on low manufacturing costs while transferring ecological and health burdens onto local communities.
According to the publication, the primary victims are farmers unable to use river water for irrigation, garment workers exposed to textile dust, and children in riverside communities facing developmental risks that remain absent from corporate disclosures.
Despite Bangladesh hosting 273 LEED-certified green factories, the report notes that overall progress remains limited, as these certifications do not guarantee sustainable practices across wet processing, dyeing, and wastewater management throughout the supply chain. Data from the Lancet Commission's Bangladesh brief estimates that environmental pollution—spanning air, water, and soil—accounts for 26.6 percent of all deaths nationwide.
While multinational apparel brands frequently promote commitments to "carbon neutrality" and "circular fashion," offshoring production allows environmental costs to be excluded from public corporate sustainability metrics.
Inadequate staffing and resources at Bangladesh's Department of Environment, combined with minimal financial penalties, hinder effective regulatory enforcement. The report warns that when the expense of operating effluent treatment plants exceeds the fine for illegal dumping, pollution becomes an economically viable choice for manufacturers.
To address the crisis, the report calls on the Bangladeshi government to significantly increase penalties for non-compliance, publicly name violating companies, and release monitoring data to the public. It stresses that environmental compliance is rapidly becoming essential not only for public health, but also for securing continued access to global export markets.