Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Gap Inc. are meeting with retailers, industry associations and the Bipartisan Policy Center to develop a plan to improve fire and safety regulation in Bangladesh factories.

The discussions are part of the previously announced Safer Factories Initiative organized by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit policy and advocacy think tank, the center said Thursday in a statement. The talks are co-led by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe.

Wal-Mart and Gap are among U.S. retailers that have faced criticism for not joining at least 24 other garment-sellers in a legally binding agreement to improve safety at Bangladesh factories that has won support from labor-monitoring groups. The Safer Factories Initiative held its first discussion Wednesday in New York and said it will release a plan by early July.