Five leading apparel companies -- H&M, Inditex (Zara), C&A, Next and Tchibo -- have pulled out as key speakers and participants from the Dhaka Apparel Summit,organized by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Their decision to withdraw is a response to the campaign of repression against the labor movement carried out by the Bangladesh government and factory owners over the last two months... The event,...on February 25, is the Bangladesh garment industry’s signature annual event; the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the keynote speaker. The Ethical Trading Initiative, representing numerous apparel brands, has also withdrawn, as has the only scheduled speaker from a labor union. The unprecedented decision of apparel brands and other international actors to withdraw from the event is a major embarrassment for the Bangladesh government and the BGMEA. It underscores growing international concern over the deterioration of labor rights in the Bangladesh garment industry... Mirjam van Heugten from Clean Clothes Campaign says: 'Clearly our global labour campaign #EveryDayCounts #WagesNotJail targeting the brands linked to this repression is having an impact'...