Bangladesh’s apparel sector employs over 4.22m workers and is at the forefront of the country’s rapid economic growth, with annual exports of USD 35.81bn (80% of total exports) even in the post-pandemic year of 2021. The sector, however, is much larger because it also includes a large informal sector where thousands of manufactureer cater to the local market or work as subcontractors for large exporters. These manufacturers are excluded from buyers’ compliance standards and audits because they do not directly participate in exporting. The manufacturers seldom follow regulatory guidelines because of the lack of government oversight. As a consequence, the people who work in these informal factories get exposed to extreme exploitation, and abuse, resulting in them ending up being victims of modern slavery.