Audit fatigue is quietly becoming one of the biggest operational headaches for garment manufacturers in Bangladesh. According to a 2023 report by the International Trade Centre (ITC), Bangladesh has the highest average number of social audits per facility worldwide, out-pacing China, Vietnam, India and Türkiye. bd.apparelresources.com+3Fibre2Fashion+3The Financial Express+3 In 2021 the average audits per facility in Bangladesh stood at 3.6, rose to 3.7 in 2022, and back to 3.6 in 2023. By contrast, China’s dropped from 3.1 to 2.8, Vietnam from 3.2 to 2.6, India from 2.5 to 2.2, and Türkiye from 2.9 to 2.3. The Financial Express+1

Why is this a concern? Because while audits are meant to drive improvements in labour, safety, environment and sustainability, the overload of overlapping assessments is creating fatigue, diverting time, resources and energy into repetitive data collection rather than meaningful improvement. The ITC report warns that “excessive auditing can lead to fatigue and inefficiencies in supply chains.” The Financial Express+1

Recognising this, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has taken proactive steps to streamline audit processes. It has initiated a survey among member factories to map current audit practices, costs and duplication of efforts. According to media reports, BGMEA issued a circular on 10 September 2025 asking factories to submit detailed information on audit practices and associated costs. bizbdreview.com+2The Financial Express+2

Further, BGMEA has engaged buyers’ forums (with more than 40 global brands and retailers) to discuss the possibility of a unified code of conduct for the industry that would reduce overlapping audits yet maintain rigorous compliance and sustainability standards. In one presentation they showed that audit firms requested anywhere from 85 to over 600 data points across labour, safety, environment, ethics, wages and working hours — underscoring the variability and burden of current audits. The Financial Express+1

If the unified code and streamlined framework succeed, the implications could be significant: fewer duplicative audits, lower cost and burden for manufacturers (especially small and medium-sized ones operating under tight margins), and more focus on genuine improvements rather than box-ticking. The BGMEA sees this as a “game-changer” for Bangladesh’s garment sector. Fibre2Fashion+1

Conclusion:
The challenge of audit fatigue is real and growing in Bangladesh’s garment industry, but the initiative by BGMEA to streamline audits and align stakeholders around a unified code offers hope for change. By reducing duplication and refining audit regimes, Bangladesh can free up resources for genuine improvements in factory conditions, sustainability and competitiveness—and in the process reinforce its leadership in apparel exports. For manufacturers, buyers and the wider supply chain, this move promises better alignment, less burden and greater impact from compliance efforts.