VisionSpring and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand access to eye care for garment workers across the country. The signing ceremony took place at the BGMEA Complex, Uttara, Dhaka.
Under the agreement, VisionSpring will conduct eye screenings for 50,000 workers within one year in BGMEA-member factories. Workers who need eyeglasses (both reading glass and prescription glasses) will receive them at a very minimal cost. Upon the successful completion of this target, the programme will further expand gradually across the RMG, industry by joint collaboration of VisionSpring and BGMEA
Bangladesh’s RMG industry, employing over four million people, depends heavily on workers’ ability to perform detailed, close-range tasks. However, a significant number of workers unknowingly suffer from uncorrected blurry vision—an issue that can lead to decreased productivity, safety concerns, and long-term eye health risks. VisionSpring’s global evidence demonstrates the direct impact of eyeglasses on livelihoods. Two different Randomized Control studies conducted by VisionSpring in different zones showed that reading glasses can increase productivity by 22-32%. and 33.4% increase in their income after receiving vision correction, respectively.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mahmud Hasan Khan, President of BGMEA and Managing Director of Rising Fashions Ltd., said: “We appreciate VisionSpring for bringing eye screening to our workers. Healthy vision means a safer and more productive worker. We want early screening to protect eye health, and we encourage expansion beyond the garment sector, including rural areas. BGMEA will urge factories to join as the subsidized program keeps costs low for employers while improving workers’ well-being and productivity.”
At the event, Misha Mahjabeen, Country Director of VisionSpring Bangladesh, said “In Bangladesh we have screened almost half a million workers in various workplaces specially in readymade garment factories and more than 30% of them needed and received eyeglasses. We want to extend the service to more factories. This is fantastic on how BGMEA has come forward for the wellbeing of their workers.”
Since 2001, VisionSpring has worked to make eyeglasses affordable for people living on low incomes. Through on-site screening and low cost eyewear delivered in workplaces, school and communities, the organization has reached millions across emerging markets. Its partnerships to industrial settings continue to strengthen workers’ well-being and productivity
The BGMEA–VisionSpring partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing health equity and worker well-being in RMG industry. The initiative aims to reduce preventable vision problems among garment workers and strengthen the supply chain, benefiting workers, factories, and the national economy. At the MoU signing, BGMEA Senior Vice President Inamul Haq Khan, Director Nafis-Ud-Doula, Director Rumana Rashid, Director Samiha Azim and other esteemed board members were present along with other VisionSpring team members.
About VisionSpring
Founded in 2001, VisionSpring is a pioneering social enterprise accelerating the use of eyeglasses in emerging and frontier markets. Its mission is to increase lifelong earning, learning, safety, and well-being through eyeglasses for people vulnerable to poverty.
To date, VisionSpring has corrected the vision of more than 14 million people living on less than $4 per day, unlocking an estimated $3 billion in income-earning potential. Its work has been recognized by the Skoll Foundation, Aspen Institute, World Bank, and Tribeca Film Festival, and featured in BBC, The Economist, The Lancet, and The New York Times.
