Accord's hearing today

The Supreme Court yesterday deferred for a fourth time the date for further hearing of an appeal filed by the Accord for extending its stay in Bangladesh.

The hearing will take place today.

The court deferred the date as the judges wanted to know more about the conditions set by the government for further extension of the Accord's presence here, said a court source.

Earlier, the government gave eight conditions. The conditions include one barring the platform from interfering in the labour issues in Bangladesh.

The conditions also said the Accord, a platform of more than 200 retailers mostly based in Europe, cannot severe business ties with any factory.

As of November, the Accord-affiliated factories have completed 90 percent of remediation works. Of the nearly 1,600 factories inspected, 91 have fully completed their remediation.

However, the Accord wants to unconditionally stay here and continue its inspection and remediation monitoring.

Yesterday's appeal was filed challenging a High Court directive that asked Accord to stop its activities after November 30.

A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after Accord's representative Advocate AM Aminuddin informed that he would place arguments before it today after consulting his client.

During yesterday's hearing Additional Attorney General Murad Reza told the SC that the government would permit Accord to stay on in Bangladesh if the agency fulfils the eight conditions set by the government.