Bloomberg View: How to Fix Bangladesh's Factories

As this went to press, at least 411 people had died in the April 25 collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story building in Savar, Bangladesh, housing multiple factories. In total, more than 1,000 garment workers have been killed in Bangladesh since 2005, according to the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy group.

First-world consumers have been the chief beneficiaries of the growth of garment manufacturing in Bangladesh and other developing countries. Americans are reaping bargains by importing more than 97 percent of what they wear. Since 1998, women’s clothing costs have fallen 7 percent, and men’s have fallen 8 percent. In the U.K., costs have dropped 20 percent since 2005.