Inside a Bangladesh garment factory

Young women work at a garment factory in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Garments made in factories like this account for about 80 percent of Bangladesh's exports.

CBS News goes undercover in a Bangladesh clothing factory

Survivor of Bangladesh factory collapse speaks out

Workers sew garments in a factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Many big-name brands sold by retailers in the U.S. and Europe source their clothing from Bangladesh's thriving garment industry.

CBS News goes undercover in a Bangladesh clothing factory

Survivor of Bangladesh factory collapse speaks out

A young woman works at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Factory bosses told CBS News that all employees are at least 18 years of age.

A young woman works at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The legal age for someone to hold a full-time job in Bangladesh is 18, but some part-time work is allowed from the age of 14. Managers at the factories CBS News toured insisted all employees were at least 18.

A man's foot works the pedal of a sewing machine in a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The minimum wage in Bangladesh is currently about $38 per month. Jobs in the garment industry are sought after in the impoverished nation.

Bangladeshi garment workers — CBS/Justine Redman

Dhaka is home to many of Bangladesh's garment factories, of which there are about 4,000. Factory employees told CBS News that they often work many more hours than they are paid for. If they complain, they're verbally -- or physically -- abused. Until recently, factory management had to approve the formation of labor unions involving their staff.

Young women work at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A young woman looks up from her work in a garment factory in Dhaka, likely surprised to see a Western face with a camera. In the wake of a factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 people, Bangladesh's factory bosses know the outside world is watching, and they're extra-cautious about who they let in, and what they show them. CBS News' crew got in by posing as garment buyers.

Bangladeshi garment workers spray jeans with potassium permanganate — CBS/Justine Redman

Young workers at a garment factory in Dhaka give jeans a "distressed" look by spraying them with potassium permanganate, a toxic substance that can damage the human nervous system. Only one of the young men is wearing a protective mask.

Young workers give jeans a "distressed" look by spraying them with potassium permanganate at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.