Published on 30 June 2026.

Death of a worker at Colour&Co. Ltd., Bangladesh - 2026

A garment worker at Colour&Co Ltd. named Liza Akhter died under unclear circumstances after falling ill while working a night shift, with reports indicating she was not allowed to leave her workplace despite her condition.

Women in Bangladesh, sitting

pixabay

The death of garment worker Liza Akhter (also reported as Liza Begum), aged around 37, in Gazipur, Bangladesh, on June 24, 2026 has triggered protests, unrest, and conflicting accounts about the exact circumstances. She worked as a sewing operator at Colo(u)r & Co. Limited, a garment factory in the Tepirbari area of Sreepur, a sub-district of Gazipur. While newspapers write the factory name „Color & Co. Ltd.“, the Open Supply Hub names factory „Colour & Co. Ltd“. As this is only a question of British versus American English, one can assume that this is the same factory.

According to multiple newspaper reports, Liza Akhter had been suffering from illness prior to the incident and fell seriously unwell during her night shift. Colleagues allege that she repeatedly requested leave or permission to rest but was denied by factory management, forcing her to continue working despite her deteriorating condition. Later she was taken to a hospital where she was declared dead in the early hours of June 24, 2026. While workers blame the factory’s refusal to grant leave, health officials have suggested a possible medical cause, with preliminary findings indicating she may have died from complications related to high blood pressure.

Her death sparked immediate and widespread unrest among garment workers: Workers from multiple factories blocked roads, staged protests. Property in the surrounding industrial area was vandalised by people who came – according to workers – from outside. Demonstrations escalated over several days, with hundreds to over 1,000 workers participating in gatherings and memorial events. Police responded with force, including baton charges and sound grenades, to disperse crowds when tensions reignited during a memorial gathering on June 27, 2026.

Workers demanded accountability from factory management and compensation for Liza’s family, while authorities attempted to restore order and investigate the disruptions. At least three legal cases were filed by factory owners over vandalism and unrest, naming over 1,100 unidentified individuals.

Information about the company

Color & Co. (Colour & Co.) Ltd. is a Bangladeshi garment manufacturer operating in the country’s large ready-made garment (RMG) sector: It is a registered member of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) (Reg. No. 7035). According to Mapped in Bangladesh it exports to Germany as well as to other European Countries and to the US. The company appears to be part of a broader group with related factories, such as Badar Spinning Mills and Blue Planet Knitwear, whose workers also joined the protests. It is listed in the Open Supply Hub as a supplier to HEMA BV, Primark and a member of the former „Partnership for Sustainable Textiles“, renamed to „Dialogue and Impact for Sustainable Textiles“.

Information on number of workers at Colour & Co Ltd. range between roundabout 500 and 3.700 employees. As one of the sources (Mapped in Bangladesh) gives also gender specific information on number of workers, we chose this source (see below).