Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have agreed to strengthen their long-standing partnership to promote ethical and sustainable production within Bangladesh's apparel sector.
This commitment emerged from a courtesy meeting today between Kamrun Nahar, WRAP's Head of Operations for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and Mahmud Hasan Khan, President of BGMEA, at the BGMEA office in Uttara.
During the discussion, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan emphasized the historical collaboration between the two organizations in advancing ethical and sustainable practices, noting that further strengthening this partnership would be beneficial for the Bangladeshi apparel industry.
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He specifically requested WRAP to take the initiative in engaging with apparel brands to develop a unified code of conduct for the industry.
Kamrun Nahar confirmed that WRAP's efforts in this regard are ongoing.
The meeting also delved into various aspects of WRAP's audits.
Kamrun Nahar urged the BGMEA to play a more active role in WRAP's training courses for its members.
Discussions also covered the full implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between BGMEA and WRAP in 2022, exploring potential areas of cooperation, and updating audit standards to be more current.
A key point of discussion was the need for exemptions from audit requirements regarding 30% open roof space in factory buildings, which currently prevents factories from installing rooftop solar panels, and obligations concerning shared factory buildings.
President Khan requested WRAP to share the comprehensive audit findings of Bangladeshi apparel factories with BGMEA.
He stated this information would assist in policy formulation for the industry and further solidify Bangladesh's position as a preferred global hub for ethical production.
The meeting, held on July 7, also saw the presence of BGMEA Director Nafis-ud-Doula and WRAP's Manager of Administrative Operations, Tanjina Afrin.