Protestors stand outside of the Gap Inc. headquarters on April 25, 2013 in San Francisco, California. The United States said Western brands buying clothing from Bangladesh had a "critical role" in improving conditions in the sector, even as leading US retailers refuse to sign a new safety pact. The United States said Western brands buying clothing from Bangladesh had a "critical role" in improving conditions in the sector, even as leading US retailers refuse to sign a new safety pact. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman visited Bangladesh, the world's second biggest garment maker after China, to urge the government to learn the lessons of a building collapse last month that killed 1,129 workers. She referred to the changes in regulations, building codes and inspections implemented in the US after the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York, whi...