Bangladesh · Audit
SMETA audit (Sedex) audit in Bangladesh
Achieve SMETA audit (Sedex) audit in Bangladesh with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
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SMETA audit (Sedex) audit in Bangladesh at a glance
In Bangladesh, SMETA audit (Sedex) is asked for by buyers and schemes rather than required by law. The drivers below show where the pressure comes from.
A SMETA audit usually starts with an email from a buyer. Retailers and brands that use Sedex ask a Bangladeshi garment, textile, leather or food supplier to join Sedex and share an audit report, so one assessment can serve several customers. Sedex describes SMETA as a methodology, not a certification: an auditor from one of its approved Affiliate Audit Companies visits the site, measures it against the ETI Base Code, International Labour Organization standards and local law, and issues a report and Corrective Action Plan. That makes the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, and the EPZ Labour Act, 2019 inside the zones, the practical reference for wages, hours and safety. Sterling's Mumbai office prepares sites by testing records, walking the floor, fixing gaps and coaching management and worker representatives, with Effivity software and Sterling Academy training included with the engagement. Sterling does not carry out the audit.
Who needs SMETA audit (Sedex) in Bangladesh, and what happens without it
These are the organisations in Bangladesh that most often need to show SMETA audit (Sedex).
- Garment and textile suppliers asked for a SMETA audit by a customerBuyers that use Sedex ask suppliers to be members and to share an audit report on the platform.
- Footwear, leather and home-textile exporters supplying retailers and brandsA shared audit report can be reused with several buyers, reducing repeat audits.
- Export processing zone factories with several buyer relationshipsZone enterprises work under the EPZ Labour Act, 2019, and the audit also measures sites against local law.
- Food and agro-processing exporters supplying European and UK retailersThe four-pillar audit adds environment and business ethics, which retail buyers often request.
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Take the free readiness checkSMETA audit (Sedex) requirements in Bangladesh
Strip away the vocabulary and a SMETA audit asks a supplier to show six things about its site, its workers and how it fixes problems.
In Bangladesh these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SMETA audit (Sedex) explained →
How to achieve SMETA audit (Sedex) compliance in Bangladesh
One team from the Mumbai office carries the work from scoping to sign-off. Clients across Bangladesh are served from Sterling's Mumbai office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against SMETA audit (Sedex) and the Bangladeshi requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
- Reviews by regulators, customers and auditorsSterling supports the reviews your regulators, customers and auditors run.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does SMETA audit (Sedex) audit take in Bangladesh?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Bangladesh these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Whether the buyer asks for a two-pillar or four-pillar scope
- Sedex membership and site registration on the platform
- State of working-hours, wage, age and recruitment records
- Time needed to close non-compliances and follow-up
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does SMETA audit (Sedex) audit cost in Bangladesh?
The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and any external assessor’s fees, which are quoted separately. In Bangladesh these factors move both.
- Scope and number of sites and workers
- Affiliate Audit Company fees quoted separately from consulting
- Sedex membership fees set by Sedex
- Remediation of safety, wage or hours findings
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
SMETA audit (Sedex) consultants and assessors in Bangladesh
Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; your regulators, customers and auditors then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.
- Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SMETA audit (Sedex) and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
- Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Bangladesh are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
- Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
- Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.
Laws and regulations that drive SMETA audit (Sedex) in Bangladesh (3)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| Sedex SMETA methodology | Scheme rule Sedex says SMETA measures a site against the ETI Base Code, the standards of the International Labour Organization Conventions and local law, in a two-pillar or four-pillar scope. |
| Sedex Affiliate Audit Company approach | Scheme rule Sedex says SMETA audits are carried out only by auditors from its independent Affiliate Audit Companies, that Sedex does not audit directly, and that a business must be a Sedex member to have a SMETA audit. |
| Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 and the Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act, 2019 | Local law benchmark The audit compares site practice with local law; the statutes set the duties on wages, hours, safety and workers' organisations. |
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in Bangladesh
SMETA is an audit methodology, not a certification. Sedex says SMETA audits are carried out only by auditors of its approved Affiliate Audit Companies and that a business needs an active Sedex membership first. The audit produces a report and a Corrective Action Plan, not a certificate, so there is no certification body or accreditation to check. Sterling prepares sites for the audit and does not carry it out. Edition and transition details: SMETA audit (Sedex) hub →
Audit language
Sedex says SMETA is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin, and that reports and Corrective Action Plan reports needed in another language must be dual language and include English. Worker interviews in Bangladesh are normally held in Bangla with the auditor's interpreter arrangements agreed beforehand.
Remote and on-site
Sedex says an auditor visits the worksite in person for an on-site assessment; documents and records are reviewed alongside worker interviews.
SMETA audit (Sedex) in Bangladesh: questions clients ask
Is SMETA a certificate?
No. Sedex describes SMETA as a continuous improvement methodology rather than a certification: the audit produces a report and a Corrective Action Plan that a supplier can share with buyers. Do not describe a SMETA audit as a certificate in customer documents. Ask the buyer which report and scope it wants.
Who can carry out a SMETA audit in Bangladesh?
Only auditors from Sedex's approved Affiliate Audit Companies, as Sedex states; Sedex does not audit directly and says other companies are not authorised to offer SMETA services. A supplier must also be a Sedex member first. Sterling helps suppliers prepare and does not perform the audit.
What does SMETA measure a Bangladeshi site against?
Sedex says the methodology measures a site against the ETI Base Code, the standards of the International Labour Organization Conventions and local law. In Bangladesh that means the Labour Act, 2006, or the EPZ Labour Act, 2019 inside the zones. A site that already meets the statute is better placed, but the code can ask for more.
What is the difference between two-pillar and four-pillar scope?
Every SMETA audit covers labour standards and health and safety. The four-pillar scope adds environment and business ethics, and Sedex says most buyers now choose it. Ask the buyer which scope it expects before booking, because it changes the evidence you prepare and what the auditor reviews on site.
More on SMETA audit (Sedex) for Bangladeshi organisations
Other standards Bangladeshi businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in Bangladesh often combine SMETA audit (Sedex) with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the Mumbai office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- Sedex SMETA methodology — sedex.com (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Sedex Affiliate Audit Company approach — sedex.com (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 and the Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act, 2019 — bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
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