The following is a round-up of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media. just-style has not checked these stories so cannot guarantee their accuracy.

  • One person has died and another three have been injured after a wall inside a warehouse at a ready-made garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed. The wall, which divided the warehouse in two parts, had no pillar and a lot of materials piled against it. Factory director Md Helal Uddin said the authorities would provide compensation to the victims. THE DAILY STAR
  • The Pakistani government should introduce a regionally competitive power tariff for the textile industry to help it benefit from GSP+ status, according to All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Punjab chairman SM Tanveer. He said Pakistan had already lost a number of international markets to China, Bangladesh and India because of the high cost of doing business. THE NATION 
  • Sri Lanka’s first-quarter exports registered positive growth of 16%, while monthly exports for March jumped 27%. Provisional export value totalled $2.80bn while the comparative 2013 first quarter exports stood at $2.36bn. DAILY NEWS
  • The International Labour Organization (ILO) has pledged to expand its support for social protection and labour compliance in Laos’ garment sector. Efforts in developing labour-related legislation were discussed, including the recently adopted Social Security Law and the revised Labour Law. VIENTIANE TIMES
  • Fazal Textile Mills and Gadoon Textile Mills in Pakinstan are exploring the viability of a potential merger. The two companies have appointed advisers and consultants to evaluate the feasibility of such a deal. THE NEWS

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