For the first time, India and Bangladesh were in the "extreme risk" category, joining China and Myanmar in a group of 32 countries with the worst risk of slave labour, the Modern Slavery index by risk analytics company Verisk Maplecroft found. "What makes the situation even more alarming is that modern slavery risks are set to intensify as countries grapple with the economic fallout of the pandemic," said Sofia Nazalya, a human rights Analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. About 60 million people work in Asia's garment industry and falling sales have put many jobs at risk. Travel restrictions and measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 have made it harder for companies to carry out audits to ensure ethical working practices in their supply chains, said the slavery index, which aims to help businesses identify risk. "The reputational risk to brands from association with modern slavery is ... now higher than at any other time over recent years," said Nazalya.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 03, 2020 22:52 UTC