In April last year a building collapsed within the greater Dhaka area — the capital of Bangladesh. When the awful debris was finally cleared, the death toll stood at over 1,100, with a further 2,500 people rescued with varying injuries, many life changing — but alive.

It is now spoken of as one of the deadliest garment factory accidents on record.

Conditions that led to this disaster — conditions almost necessary for our high streets to stock clothes at a price that cannot be competed with when workers are unionised and paid living wages, wherever they may be — include a disregard for safety laws, rock-bottom labour costs and demanding production schedules.

All this is part of the complexities of a global supply chain and why I am on a short visit to the country.

Today, I started by giving an interview for Apparel — the industry’s trade magazine. In my capacity as a member of the European Parliament I am here, also, to attend a conference (and Expo) organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) aiming to look at how to meet their goal of a bigger industry by 2021 (an ambitious but possible $50 billion by that year), in a way which is both sustainable and also helps to make Bangladesh a middle-income country.

So, it’s future-focused but forms part of a necessary re-evaluation of the garment industry post Rana Plaza.

Tomorrow I will deliver a speech at the social responsibility panel of the BGMEA summit on compensation, labour rights, pay and gender — that’s already hitting three key points for the 230-plus trade unions that now exist in the garment sector.

The BGMEA is able to enact the changes needed and part of my remit is to see that this is done, and not mere lip service is being paid.

My session will also reference human rights — this is a key part of the EU trade regime if Bangladesh makes it to being a middle-income country.

On this visit, I will talk with representatives of the industry, visit factories and speak with workers. I will continue, when I return, to pursue ongoing dialogue with individuals and organisations to make sure that we continue to ask the right questions of the right people.

For the very great part, this is not about seeing that legislation is drawn up — legislation already exists even if it can be improved — it is rather about implementation.

Meanwhile the very real question, aside from supply chains and conditions here, remains: what is the cost of clothes really, not in money but in human life?

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, is in Bangladesh this week in her capacity as chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with South Asia.