Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Saturday stressed the need for exploring new markets for Bangladesh’s RMG sector to overcome the crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Bangladesh has to look for new markets including in the neighbouring countries for its diversified products including RMG that will help the country to recover the crisis. The garment sector overcame the effects of the first wave of the COVID-19 to some extent but we’ve started to feel the impact following the 2nd wave,” the minister at a virtual dialogue.   

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Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the dialogue on “Recovery of the Apparels Sectors from the COVID-19 Crisis: Is a Value Chain based Solution Possible?” in partnership with Southern Voice and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) was the study partner.

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Tipu Munshi said the government is ready to assist further the RGM sector to offset the losses. “We have to see the interest of all people including manufacturers, workers and buyer.”  

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Harry Verweij, Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh said their government urged companies not to cancel order of Bangladesh’s RMG products.

“Many companies also followed the government’s directives and purchased Bangladesh’s products amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our government also took many positive initiatives as well,” he said.

​​​​​​​Also Read: RMG workers block road demanding payment of dues in Gazipur

Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow of CPD, moderated the session while its Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem read out the keynote presentation.

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Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has demanded a new stimulus package to pay wages of employees regularly following the damage borne by the sector in light of COVID-19.

“We request the government to prolong the tenure of the stimulus packages. Alongside this, we also request to consider new stimulus packages to help the industry survive,” BGMEA President Dr Rubana Huq on Monday at a virtual press conference.

She added the apparel sector is a driving force of the country’s economy.

 Dr Rubana said the decline in exports in recent months amid COVID-19 pandemic is a cause for concern for the garment industry.

“Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the export of readymade garments has decreased by 34.72 percent in the period from March to July this year. Although there was a slight increase in exports in August and September, but it was again threatened by the second wave of covid-19,” she added.

She said the export has come down 7.78% in October compared to the corresponding period last year to the markets of USA, Germany, Span, France, Italy and Japan. Besides, the export reduced 6% during November 1 to 20.

“Although we are in second position in the global market to export our products, our market share is only 6.8%. So we have a chance to expand our market there,” she further said.

Dhaka, June 10 (UNB)-Bangladesh’s export earnings from Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector earned $31.73 billion in the first 11 months of the fiscal (July to May), up 12.82 percent from the corresponding period of the last fiscal, when it was $28.12 billion.  

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released on Monday, knitwear products earned $15.68 billion, which is 12.50 percent higher than the $13.94 billion earned during the same period of FY2017-2018.

Besides, Woven products earned $16.05 billion, up by 13.13 percent from $14.18 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

The specialized textile sector saw a 33.79 percent growth to $137.74 million from $103 million, while home textile products saw a negative growth of 2.69 percent to $800 million, down from $825 million.

Meanwhile, agricultural products posted a sharp rise of 40.3 percent growth to $854.46 million in the first eleven months of FY2018-19 from $609 million in the previous fiscal year.

However, the earnings from leather and leather goods witnessed a 5.53 percent negative growth to $944 million during the period, down from $999 million during the same period of FY2017-2018.

Jute and jute goods also registered 20 percent negative growth to $773.57 million, which was $967 million during the same period in the previous fiscal year.

However, Bangladesh’s exports shipments earned by 14.78 percent to $3.81 billion in the eleventh month of the current fiscal year which was $3.32 billion in the same period a year ago.

Dhaka, May 21 (UNB)- Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Rubana Huq on Tuesday urged workers’ leaders to refrain from complaining about internal problems to foreigners. 

“Foreign buyers don’t increase the rate even though our production cost has increased immensely. If you complain to buyers than they get a chance to bargain and reduce prices,” she told a roundtable on national budget at Jatiya Press Club.

Rubana said the owners should be united. “But sadly, we aren’t and that’s a barrier to the industry’s development,” she said. 

The BGMEA chief said that the organisation will take all initiatives if the workers inform it of their demands first.

“The welfare of the workers means the industry’s wellbeing. Don’t create any violence. I’m with you,” she said.

Centre for Policy Dialogue Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem demanded increasing budget allocation for workers.

“It won’t require a huge amount. Community based development is needed in the industry,” he said

Moazzem said that it is time to raise voice together for increasing prices of products.

Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, president of Bangladesh Textile Garments Workers Federation, put forth several proposals including starting ration system for workers.

“We’ve submitted our demands to the Finance Ministry. We’ll submit these to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as soon as possible,” he said.

ZM Kamrul Anam, president of Bangladesh Textile and Garments Workers League, urged the government to increase budget allocation for garment workers.
 

Dhaka, Feb 28 (UNB)- The workers of Garib and Garib Sweater Factory in Gazipur held a rally at the Jatiya Press Club on Thursday demanding unpaid wages.

They claimed the factory authorities also threatened to file cases against them. The workers sought the intervention of the government and BGMEA authorities.

National Garment Workers Federation President Amirul Haque Amin urged the factory authorities to pay the workers within the shortest possible time.

Alamgir Roni, president of Gonotantrik Garments Sramik Karmachari Federation, accused the company of harassing workers and torturing them. 

He threatened to intensify agitation if the workers are not paid and their harassment is not stopped.