Editorial Board
Use Rewards Not Punishments to Help Bangladesh Workers
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The U.S. is about to reimpose tariffs on Bangladesh in response to the country’s failure to improve safety in its factories. The European Union has threatened to follow the U.S.’s lead -- a move that would hit Bangladesh much harder. This punitive strategy is understandable, but there’s a better way to advance a worthy cause.
More than 1,000 people died when a garment factory near Dhaka collapsed in April; a few months before, a factory fire killed more than 100. Safety standards in Bangladeshi factories are dire, and government efforts to effect improvements have been paltry.