The ABC's Four Corners Program made a grueling expose of what it is to work in sweatshops in Bangladesh under the Australian Big retailers namely Rivers, Coles, Target and Kmart.

According to Shahanas and Salma, two factory workers working for Rivers, they were only paid $3 a day. This inhumane wage is always coupled with "intolerable pressure."

According to Shahahanas, "The system is, how many pieces I have delivered in an hour? If I can't meet it, the abusive language starts. They slap us on the face, on the head and on the back." She said that management had instructed all factory workers NOT to talk with foreign buyers when they do their rounds at the factory.

Shahanas also said that with that very low wage, she can only visit her son in their village once a year."

Salma shared, "Some workers cry at that time. They cry while they're working."

However, manager for Australian retailer Rivers, Eve Dress Shirts, denied the allegations and told the news crew that they are not making clothes for Rivers.

When asked for their side of the story, Rivers did not respond.

Meanwhile, factory workers making clothes for Coles at the Rosita factory in Bangladesh said that they are being paid 22 cents per hour.

In a report from Charles Kernagham, US based Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights in 2012, Mr. Kernagham said that when factory workers assert their labor rights, Rosita will beat them and fire them. Those factory leaders speaking for the rights of the workers were told to shut their mouths or else they will be killed.

Mr. Kernagham said that, "We found out that the Rosita and Megatex was owned by South Ocean, which is the largest Chinese manufacturer of sweaters in the world and they were cheating the workers in every single way imaginable. Coles got back to us saying that as far as they know everything is fine, everything is perfect while, workers are being arrested, beaten, tortured, threatened with sexual harassment, just on and on and on. This was a miserable sweatshop."

For Mr. Kernagham, these information gave a terrible impression about Coles, "this is just one of those labels which does not care, and they will always turn their back on the workers. They'll always come forward with these phony codes of conduct that are never implemented.

Just like Rivers, Coles were not available for comment. However, reports showed that after the 2012 report from Mr. Kernagham, Coles had moved its factory to Chittagong.

In line with this controversy, majority of the Australian retailers, such as Target, Big W and Kmart had already left its operation in Bangladesh.

While there are expose's of abuse, Fairfax Media reported that the Bangladesh garment industry is calling for Australia not to abandon them but instead help Bangladesh to improve their working situations.

Forhad Mia, a factory worker for Kmart said that "Countries like Australia should not abandon Bangladesh. Those companies which have made money from the work of Bangladeshi people should help us improve our industry, so we are safe, and we can be paid a wage so that we can live properly."

Kazi Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, said that, "Australian companies came to Bangladesh because the price is here is the cheapest in the world, and they have made huge profits from Bangladeshi labour. But now, there are problems in our industry, and they, I feel, have a duty to improve it. They should stay in the country to assist the people not abandon them."