Dear Nirapon members,
We have had an intensive and productive last quarter, with several important developments for Nirapon and our collective work to strengthen factory safety in Bangladesh.
I am very pleased to announce that Nirapon has now formally registered as an organization in Bangladesh. This is a significant milestone in Nirapon’s development: it makes the organization more sustainable for the long term, more locally embedded in Bangladesh, and better positioned to support members, factories and workers through a nationally rooted program.
In June, we held a two-day board meeting in Bangladesh, a day of which was spent discussing the future strategy of Nirapon. The meeting generated many ideas and much inspiration from our dedicated Board, and I look forward to briefing members on the strategy as it takes shape in the coming months.
Also in June, we were pleased to welcome member representatives to a member meeting in Dhaka. Working through practical factory scenarios with those present generated useful insights into the realities of member engagement with factories to improve safety. I was also very pleased that the Member Engagement Committee presented its work at the meeting, and the Committee remains very open to hearing ideas and suggestions from across the membership on improvements to Nirapon’s program and interventions.
We also held a Town Hall meeting with more than 300 participants from 188 factories you source from in the Dhaka region. This provided an important opportunity to share updates on Nirapon’s program as well as hear from the factories.
Lastly, I am delighted to let members know that Nirapon has been awarded a £250,000 grant to fund intensive research into the impact of Nirapon’s work in factories. The research will be undertaken by New York’s Columbia University together with BRAC University in Dhaka. Using the gold-standard impact research methodology of a randomized control trial, the two-year study will examine different aspects of Nirapon’s interventions, with the aim of understanding their impact in factories and, specifically, whether improvements in factory safety can be attributed to Nirapon’s program.
Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and engagement. The progress described above reflects the strength of our shared commitment to building a safer, more resilient manufacturing industry in Bangladesh.
July 2026
