A group set up by European fashion brands to improve factory safety in Bangladesh has sought a stay on a court order that calls for its local operations to end this week, its executive director said on Wednesday.

The group comprises more than 200 firms - including global clothing giants such as H&amp;M and Zara-owner Inditex – who are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, formed after the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, which killed more than 1,100 people.

The five-year pact was set to expire in May 2018 but its brand signatories agreed last year to extend it to 2021 to complete remaining safety fixes, while the Bangladesh government set up a national regulatory body to take over its work.

A High Court in Bangladesh in May, however, ordered the Accord to shut down by November 30, following a petition filed by a local readymade garments supplier against the pact.

The group's inability to inspect factories through the agreement may prompt brands to cut ties with Bangladeshi suppliers, which would hit the country's economy, which is heavily reliant on garment exports.

"We have submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court...and are working to have a stay issued against the High Court judgement that would close down our office," Rob Wayss, the Accord's executive director told Reuters.

The appeal is likely to be heard on Thursday, a government official said, declining to be named as the information was not public. Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan, head of the department of factory inspections at the labour ministry declined to comment, saying the matter was before the court.

Low wages have helped Bangladesh build the world's second-largest garment industry, behind China, with some 4,000 factories employing about 4 million workers. The sector exports more than $30 billion worth of clothes a year, mainly to the United States and Europe.

Wayss said the group would move its work to its Amsterdam office if it is forced to shut down in Bangladesh, as the legally-binding contract signed between its brand members extends up to 2021.

However, moving operations out of Bangladesh would likely increase the Accord's costs and also harm suppliers, said Wayss.

"Right now, they can come to the office any day of the week, we can review designs together, we can give them feedback," said Wayss. "Our ability to do that when we don't have an office and infrastructure is reduced, so the industry is harmed."

Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told Reuters last week the Accord was no longer needed as the government's national regulatory body, the Remediation Coordination Cell, was able to do the job.

However, Wayss said that body still has work to do before it is ready to fully police standards in the sector.

"It's in its infancy, they have just hired their staff, they really don't have their systems in place, their engineers need a lot of additional training just like ours did," he said, adding safety fixes at over 500 of the factories the Accord oversees are still incomplete.

A group set up by European fashion brands to improve factory safety in Bangladesh has sought a stay on a court order that calls for its local operations to end this week, its executive director said on Wednesday.

A group set up by European fashion brands to improve factory safety in Bangladesh has sought a stay on a court order that calls for its local operations to end this week, its executive director said on Wednesday. The group comprises more than 200 firms - including global clothing giants such as H&M and Zara-owner Inditex – who are signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, formed after the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, which killed more than 1,100 people. The five-year pact was set to expire in May 2018 but its brand signatories agreed last year to extend it to 2021 to complete remaining safety fixes, while the Bangladesh government set up a national regulatory body to take over its work. A High Court in Bangladesh in May, however, ordered the Accord to shut down by November 30, following a petition filed by a local readymade garments supplier against the pact. The group's inability to inspect factories through the agreement may prompt brands to cut ties with Bangladeshi suppliers, which would hit the country's economy, which is heavily reliant on garment exports. "We have submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court...and are working to have a stay issued against the High Court judgement that would close down our office," Rob Wayss, the Accord's executive director told Reuters. The appeal is likely to be heard on Thursday, a government official said, declining to be named as the information was not public. Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan, head of the department of factory inspections at the labour ministry declined to comment, saying the matter was before the court. Low wages have helped Bangladesh build the world's second-largest garment industry, behind China, with some 4,000 factories employing about 4 million workers. The sector exports more than $30 billion worth of clothes a year, mainly to the United States and Europe. Wayss said the group would move its work to its Amsterdam office if it is forced to shut down in Bangladesh, as the legally-binding contract signed between its brand members extends up to 2021. However, moving operations out of Bangladesh would likely increase the Accord's costs and also harm suppliers, said Wayss. "Right now, they can come to the office any day of the week, we can review designs together, we can give them feedback," said Wayss. "Our ability to do that when we don't have an office and infrastructure is reduced, so the industry is harmed." Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told Reuters last week the Accord was no longer needed as the government's national regulatory body, the Remediation Coordination Cell, was able to do the job. However, Wayss said that body still has work to do before it is ready to fully police standards in the sector. "It's in its infancy, they have just hired their staff, they really don't have their systems in place, their engineers need a lot of additional training just like ours did," he said, adding safety fixes at over 500 of the factories the Accord oversees are still incomplete.

Bangladesh factory safety group seeks to delay closure, flags lingering risks

Bangladesh police have detained several top leaders of the country&#39;s largest Islamist party in a crackdown against the opposition that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/top-leaders-of-jamaat-e-islami-arrested-in-bangladesh-reports-21200" target="_blank">government blames for inciting militancy</a> but which says it is being unfairly targeted.

Eight leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, including party chief Maqbul Ahmad and secretary general Shafiqur Rahman, were detained in Dhaka on Monday night, police said.

They were formally arrested on Tuesday and ordered held on remand for 10 days while police investigate.

The detentions followed information that the leaders were meeting &quot;to plot and carry out some destructive activities&quot;, a senior police official said.

Jamaat-e-Islami denied the allegations and called for demonstrations on Tuesday to protest. It said in a statement that its leaders were in an informal meeting.

&quot;The government is continuously arresting our innocent activists just to stay in power,&quot; the party said.

The detentions follow a years-long crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s government and come ahead of general elections expected next year.

Opposition leaders deny any link to Islamic militants and say the crackdown can be traced to a bitter rivalry, which has long poisoned politics in the country, between Hasina&#39;s ruling Awami League and its main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as well as Jamaat-e-Islami.

Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since a deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe in July last year. Twenty-two people were killed, most of them foreigners.

The detentions follow a years-long crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and come ahead of general elections expected next year

Bangladesh police have detained several top leaders of the country's largest Islamist party in a crackdown against the opposition that the government blames for inciting militancy but which says it is being unfairly targeted. Eight leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, including party chief Maqbul Ahmad and secretary general Shafiqur Rahman, were detained in Dhaka on Monday night, police said. They were formally arrested on Tuesday and ordered held on remand for 10 days while police investigate. The detentions followed information that the leaders were meeting "to plot and carry out some destructive activities", a senior police official said. Jamaat-e-Islami denied the allegations and called for demonstrations on Tuesday to protest. It said in a statement that its leaders were in an informal meeting. "The government is continuously arresting our innocent activists just to stay in power," the party said. The detentions follow a years-long crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and come ahead of general elections expected next year. Opposition leaders deny any link to Islamic militants and say the crackdown can be traced to a bitter rivalry, which has long poisoned politics in the country, between Hasina's ruling Awami League and its main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as well as Jamaat-e-Islami. Police and army commandos have killed more than 60 suspected militants and arrested hundreds since a deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe in July last year. Twenty-two people were killed, most of them foreigners.

Bangladesh govt blames opposition for inciting militancy, detains Jamaat leaders

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Bangladesh factory safety group seeks to delay closure, flags lingering risks

Bangladesh govt blames opposition for inciting militancy, detains Jamaat leaders