Bangladesh's position as a global hub for garment manufacturing is coming at a heavy environmental cost, with untreated industrial wastewater continuing to pollute rivers and waterways around Dhaka and raising concerns over public health, livelihoods and the sustainability claims of major fashion brands.
A report by The Daily Star, cited by India New England News, drawing on World Bank figures, says more than 7,000 factories in greater Dhaka collectively discharge about 634 million gallons, or 2.4 billion litres, of untreated effluent into nearby water bodies every day.
The scale of the pollution is particularly significant for Bangladesh, where the garment sector generates nearly four-fifths of the country's export earnings and remains deeply integrated into the global fast-fashion supply chain.
Textile and garment factories use large quantities of dyes, chemicals and water during manufacturing. When wastewater is discharged without adequate treatment, those pollutants can enter rivers and canals, affecting aquatic ecosystems as well as communities that depend on the waterways.
The consequences extend beyond the factory gates. Farmers who rely on polluted water for irrigation face risks to their crops and livelihoods, while people living along contaminated waterways can be exposed to hazardous substances through water, soil and food.
The pollution also raises questions about the gap between Bangladesh's growing efforts to promote environmentally responsible manufacturing and conditions on the ground.
Many international fashion companies have pledged to reduce carbon emissions, adopt circular production models and achieve net-zero targets. Yet their continued sourcing from factories operating in areas affected by severe industrial pollution puts those commitments under greater scrutiny.
As The Daily Star reported, the people who bear the environmental cost include farmers unable to use river water for irrigation, garment workers exposed to textile dust and children living in riverside communities whose health problems may never be reflected in corporate environmental, social and governance disclosures.
The consequences of industrial pollution are not confined to environmental degradation. They form part of a broader public health challenge facing Bangladesh.
A Bangladesh brief based on the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health estimates that pollution of air, water and soil accounts for 26.6% of deaths in the country.
The figure underscores the extent to which pollution has become a health and economic issue, with exposure to contaminated air, water and soil contributing to disease and premature deaths.
For communities living near industrial areas, polluted waterways can compound existing health and economic vulnerabilities. Workers in the garment sector may also face occupational risks from prolonged exposure to textile dust and chemicals, particularly where workplace safeguards and enforcement remain inadequate.
The issue is especially important in the context of fast fashion, an industry built around producing large volumes of inexpensive clothing at speed. Low prices at the point of purchase can conceal environmental and social costs that are ultimately borne by workers and communities in manufacturing countries.
Garments that are poorly made or designed for short-term use may also be discarded quickly, encouraging repeated purchases and increasing the volume of textile waste.
Bangladesh has made progress in promoting greener garment manufacturing. As many as 273 factories in the country have received LEED green certification, reflecting growing investment in energy efficiency, water conservation and environmentally responsible building practices.
But certification of factory buildings does not necessarily mean that every stage of production is environmentally sound.
The Daily Star report notes that green-building certification does not automatically ensure that wet processing, dyeing, washing and wastewater discharge are properly managed throughout the production chain.
This distinction is particularly important because some of the most environmentally damaging processes in textile manufacturing take place during wet processing. A factory can meet standards for its physical infrastructure while still creating significant pollution if wastewater treatment and discharge systems are inadequate.
Addressing the problem will require more than expanding the number of certified green factories. Effective enforcement of environmental regulations, proper operation of effluent treatment plants and regular monitoring of industrial discharge are crucial to reducing pollution.
Greater transparency is also needed from international brands sourcing from Bangladesh. Consumers and regulators increasingly expect companies to disclose where their products are manufactured and how environmental risks are managed throughout their supply chains.
For Bangladesh, the challenge is to maintain its position as one of the world's leading garment-producing countries without allowing the environmental burden of that success to fall disproportionately on communities living beside polluted rivers and waterways.
The country's garment industry has made notable progress in workplace safety and green manufacturing, but environmental sustainability cannot stop at the factory wall.
If untreated wastewater continues to flow into rivers, sustainability claims will remain incomplete, regardless of how energy-efficient or environmentally friendly the factory buildings may be. For the millions of people who depend on Bangladesh's waterways, cleaner production is not simply a corporate responsibility – it is a matter of health, livelihoods and long-term economic survival.