RMG
RMG exports rise in Oct despite overall decline
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data show that, despite an overall drop in export earnings, Bangladesh's apparel sector recorded a 3.27 percent increase in revenue in October compared to the same month of the previous year.
In October of the current fiscal year, total export revenues fell 7.85 percent to $4.35 billion from $4.72 billion in the corresponding month of the fiscal year (FY) 2021–22.
However, earnings from apparel exports increased to $3.67 billion from the $3.65 billion reported in October of FY22.
Read more: Falling exports-remittances: Double blow to Bangladesh economy
According to EPB, Bangladesh's apparel exports during July-October of FY23 rose 10.55 percent year-on-year to $13.95 billion. During the same period last year, readymde garments (RMG) exports brought in $12.62 billion for the country.
"Although readymade garment shipments were expected to drop in October, this encouraging development is welcome," Mohiuddin Rubel, director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said.
"However, as global retail markets are struggling and buyers are taking cautious steps in placing new orders and managing inventory, as an entrepreneur in the apparel sector I am not optimistic about the trend of work orders and the sector's growth in the coming months."
Read more: RMG factories bearing power outages of 4 to 10 hours a day: BGMEA President
BGMEA leaders, Dickson discuss ways to boost RMG export to UK market
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has discussed possible ways to increase apparel export share in the UK with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson.
Dickson had a courtesy meeting with BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at BGMEA Complex on Tuesday.
BGMEA President hopes for continued support of the British government to RMG sector.
They discussed various trade related issues, including the present situation in the UK market, challenges of the industry and the areas where the sector is focusing on to remain competitiveness in the long term.
Read: BGMEA, Fashion Design Council to promote khadi globally
They also talked about cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh regarding graduation from LDC, possible changes in the tariff regime and how to retain Bangladesh’s export competitiveness and maintain its standing in the global market in the post-LDC era, according to the BGMEA.
BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Directors Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Asif Ashraf, Tanvir Ahmed, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Director of Sales and Investment at British High Commission Dan Pasha and BTMA Director Md. Mosharaf Hossain were present at the meeting.
Bangladesh RMG industry globally praised for strides in safety, sustainability: BGMEA President
Bangladesh is recognized and praised globally as one of the safest and greenest apparel sourcing destinations in the world, said President of BGMEA Faruque Hassan on Thursday.
"Its (RMG) impressive achievements have boosted the trust and confidence of global buyers in the garments with Made in Bangladesh tag," he said.
Building on the achievements Bangladesh’s RMG industry has continued its all-out efforts to grow in a manner that is sustainable and keeps positive impacts on the planet and the people, said the BGMEA chief.
His comments came while speaking at a webinar organized by International Trade Center (ITC) where he shared the strides BGMEA has made towards making the RMG industry of Bangladesh one of the safest and greenest industries in the world.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan was invited to the webinar by ITC to share his views, insights and experience of heading BGMEA, the apex RMG industry association in Bangladesh.
He also shed lights on the best practices and initiatives of BGMEA and the clothing sector in Bangladesh at large.
Faruque Hassan said Bangladesh earned global accolades for the remarkable strides in the areas of workplace safety, environmental sustainability and workers’ rights and welfare.
He thanked the ITC for featuring the commendable good practices of Bangladesh’s RMG industry in the Good Practices in the Global Apparel Industry which is the latest publication launched by the ITC.
BGMEA has been selected in the publication as a case study of best practices in the category of “Effective management of industry”.
Read: BGMEA chief calls on French brand to expand business base in Bangladesh
“While the recognition will inspire us to pursue excellence, it will motivate other countries to follow the suit,” he said.
Dr. Rajesh Bheda – author of publication and CEO of Rajesh Bheda Consulting; Tuli Cooray, Secretary General, Joint Apparel Association Forum, Sri Lanka; and Dr. Vandana Bhandari –Professor, National Institute of Fashion Technology, India also spoke at the webinar which was moderated by Delphine Clement, Programme Officer at ITC.
The RMG industry of Bangladesh places utmost importance to sustainability, Faruque Hassan said, adding that having the highest number of green factories in Bangladesh is the glowing example of our committed efforts towards sustainability.
He said BGMEA has taken an initiative of industry wide “ESG Digital Cloud based data disclosure Platform” through which all BGMEA member factories would be disclosing their data in the digital platform through which BGMEA would be able to develop an industry ESG dash board.
BGMEA has published its “Sustainability Strategic ESG vision 2030” that looks into all ESG issues pertinent to the industry and is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Bangladesh’s National Priority Indicators.
BGMEA has established the “Centre of innovation efficiency and OSH” to support the industry to enhance sustainability and boost productivity and innovation within the sector, he added.
Faruque Hassan invited the guests to the “Made in Bangladesh Week” which will be organized by BGMEA in Dhaka on 12-18 November 2022 to promote Bangladesh and the RMG industry.
Project CREATE launched to make RMG industry's transition into circular economy easier
Circular Economy in Bangladesh's Apparel Industry (CREATE)" project was launched Thursday to investigate the circular economy transition in global apparel value chains linked with Bangladesh's apparel industry and develop effective policies.
Being the "largest" research-based policy-development project on circular economy in the apparel industry, the CREATE aims to contribute to climate change mitigation and social as well as economic sustainability in the global fashion industry.
Sustainability is a key strategic priority for the ready-made garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh where efforts are being made constantly to incorporate circularity into the business models, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan said at the inaugural ceremony.
The BGMEA has put circularity at the core of its Strategic Vision 2030, where we have pledged to increase sustainable material mix by 50 percent, in line with SDG 12, he added.
Faruque said in line with the increasing global demand, Bangladesh's RMG industry is moving towards circularity.
Read: Bangladesh's RMG bracing for next phase of growth: BGMEA
"I hope this CREATE project will help us understand the global value chain, and develop market-based solutions to promote the development of sustainable production and consumption," he added.
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), School of Business, and Aalborg University (AAU) Business School jointly organised the inauguration ceremony of the CREATE project.
Morten Thiessen, vice mayor of Aalborg, Denmark; Professor Christian Nielsen, head of AAU Business School; Professor Muhammad Fazli Ilahi, vice-chancellor of AUST, Professor Rasmus Antoft, dean at SSH (Humanities and Social Sciences) Faculty at Aalborg University, Professor Lindsay Whitfield, Copenhagen Business School; Professor Mohammad A. Momen, director of Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka; Thomas Klausen, CEO of Danish Fashion and Textile; Professor Gabriel RG Benito, BI Norwegian Business School; Professor Svetla Marinova, head of International Business Research Group, AAU Business School; Prof. Dr Mohammad Amanullah, local project coordinator and former Dean of AUST Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, also spoke at the programme.
Bangladesh's RMG bracing for next phase of growth: BGMEA
Bangladesh's apparel industry is increasingly focusing on product diversification, innovation, technology upgradation and skill development to enhance its capabilities and competitiveness in the global market in the coming days, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Vice-President Shahidullah Azim said.
He was speaking at a 16th senior basic intelligence course 2022 event organised by the National Security Intelligence Training Institute in Dhaka Sunday.
The readymade garments (RMG) industry is focusing on diversifying products, especially man-made fibre-based products as part of its strategy of shifting from volume to value and quantity to quality, the BGMEA vice-president said.
"Globally the share of cotton textile and clothing consumption is 25 percent only, but 75 percent of Bangladesh's RMG product is concentrated on cotton. This means we have tremendous opportunities in this segment."
Bangladesh can be front-runner in adopting circularity in RMG: BGMEA
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said the country has the potential to be a front-runner in adopting circularity in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry.
President Faruque Hassan underscored the importance of circularity to achieving the BGMEA's strategic vision of increasing sustainable material mix by 50 percent by 2030 as Ian de Cruz, global director of P4G, and Hali McKinley Lester, communications specialist of P4G, met him in Dhaka Saturday.
The objective of the meeting was to understand the status quo of circularity in Bangladesh and explore the readiness of the RMG industry to adopt a circular economy.
Read: IFC-led PaCT helped factories cut carbon and water footprints: BGMEA
The two sides discussed different challenges and opportunities of introducing a circular economy system in Bangladesh's RMG industry, retaining the value of the textile waste, and closing the material loop by supporting the BGMEA and other RMG allied industries by creating a business model for prospective investors, and through impact investing.
Faruque invited Ian and Lester to join the Made in Bangladesh Week to be organised by the BGMEA on 12-18 November this year.
BGMEA directors Asif Ashraf, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, and Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange Mostafiz Uddin also attended the meeting.
7th edition of "BGMEA Cup" tournament begins September 29
The 7th edition of inter-garments football tournament titled ‘BGMEA Cup’ will begin on September 29 at Uttara Sector 4 Kallyan Samiti field.
Mid and upper-managements of 16 garment factories of the country will compete in the 8-A-Side football tournament which will be organized by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
The BGMEA Cup 2022 players' auction was held at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) , Dhaka on September 10 where the participating teams made additions to their squad, BGMEA said on Sunday.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan attended the player auction ceremony as the chief guest.
BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, BGMEA Director Md. Imranur Rahman, garment entrepreneurs, players and representatives of sponsors were also present at the programme.
Also read: Bangladesh, Indonesia need to work together as partners: BGMEA chief
A total of 16 reowned garment companies in Bangladesh will participate in the tournament.
They are
FAKIR FASHION, AKH GROUP, URMI GROUP, SAYEM GROUP, BABYLON GROUP FARIHA GROUP
EPYLLION GROUP, SNOWTEX OUTERWEAR, AMAZING FASHIONS, APPARELS VILLAGE KIMS CORPORATION, EVINCE GROUP, TORQUE FASHIONS TEAM GROUP, LAILA GROUP, BANDO DESIGN
The tournament is powered by “Turag Active” while Platinum Sponsors are – SHELTECH, BUFT, FARIHA GROUP
Gold Sponsors – CLUB11, TWELVE CLOTHING, SARA LIFESTYLE LTD, PORCELANOSA BANGLADESH, SPARROW, NIPA GROUP, ANTRIX SOLUTIONS LIMITED.
Broadcast Partner – T-SPORTS
Internet Partner- Aamra
Gift Partner-CBL Munchee
Fitness Partner-Movement Solutions BD
Venue Partner- Uttara Kallyan Samiti.
Also read: BGMEA seeks uninterrupted energy supply by special arrangements
These are the partners of this football tournament.
The 16 teams will be divided into 4 groups and the group stage matches will be played at Uttara Sector 4 Kallyan Samiti filed.
The final match of the football tournament will be held at the Army Stadium at a later date.
Md. Imranur Rahman, a Director of BGMEA and Managing Director of Bando Design Ltd, is a passionate footballer and an organizer who initiated the corporate football tournament in the garment industry ‘BGMEA Cup’ back in 2016.
RMG: BGMEA, Jeanologia to collaborate on promoting green technologies
Jeanologia, a globally renowned textile technology manufacturer, will join hands with BGMEA to support Bangladesh’s RMG industry in adopting innovative technologies and processes to become more efficient and sustainable.
The commitment to collaboration was expressed when the founder and CEO of Jeanologia Enrique Silla met BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at the latter’s office in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and Managing Director of Denim Expert Ltd Mostafiz Uddin, Country Director-Bangladesh Tarin Choudhury and Division Director CEA Manuj Kanchan were also present on the occasion.
Jeanologia will provide support to the Centre of Innovation Efficiency and OSH with the technical know-how of the latest textile technologies and processes for dissemination across the RMG industry of Bangladesh.
The Centre, established by BGMEA, aims to support the RMG industry with knowledge, skills and technical knowledge to face future challenges and enhance its competitiveness.
Read: Bangladesh's RMG one of the front-runners in sustainability marathon: BGMEA
Faruque Hassan said the collaboration with Jeanologia has come as a part of BGMEA’s commitment and constant efforts to pursue the growth of the RMG industry in a sustainable way that has a positive impact on people and the planet.
He said, “The global apparel industry consumes a huge amount of freshwater mostly extracted from the ground. Globally leading apparel brands are focusing on reducing water consumption in the process of manufacturing garments. BGMEA has pledged to reduce dependency on groundwater resources and diversify source mix.”
In its strategic vision, BGMEA has set a target to reduce its water footprint up to 50 per cent by 2030. In its continuous journey to achieve excellence in sustainability adopting such eco-friendly technologies are imperative, Faruque Hassan added.
Enrique Silla, Jeanologia CEO, said water will be the main cost driver in near future, so by helping Bangladesh to become a water-less textile hub we will align both the planet and the economical the interest of our customers which are BGMEA associates.
Jeanologia has invented some ground-breaking washing technologies that reduce the water footprint of products and eventually lessen the pollution load on the aquatic ecosystem.
Bangladesh's RMG one of the front-runners in sustainability marathon: BGMEA
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Vice-President Shahidullah Azim has said the country's apparel industry has become front-runners in the marathon of sustainability, "a core area of concern in the global business landscape."
"Bangladesh has the highest number of green factories in the world, with 168 LEED Green factories certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), 50 of which are rated Platinum, with 550 more factories in the pipeline. Moreover, 40 out of the top 100 industrial projects in the world are in Bangladesh," he added.
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"A major demographic of the global consumer is now concerned about sustainable consumption and production, especially the environmental footprint of the product they buy. The BGMEA has proactively taken the issue of sustainability to the core of its strategic vision."
The first Bangladeshi ship carrying jhut leaves for India
A Bangladeshi-flagged ship has started its journey from Muktarpur of Munshiganj to India carrying jhut, the scrap fabric produced by the RMG industry, for the first time in the country's history.
The ship 'MV Razzaku' started its journey around 12:45 pm from Char Muktarpur River Port for Dhubri Port in Assam of India.
India's Bhansali International is importing 111 metric tonnes of jhut from Moktar Hossain Traders of Bangladesh.
Also read: Transit: First cargo ship from India arrives at Mongla port for trial run
Bangladesh will earn $26,085 by exporting the scrap fabric, produced as a waste in the RMG industry. But as a recycled good, it has been gaining in value in recent years.
People concerned said this shipment has a special value ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming India visit.
Also read: How Padma Bridge led to largest shipment of reconditioned cars to arrive at Mongla Port
Summit Alliance Port Limited assistant manager Md Ruhul Amin said this export has opened a new door for Bangladesh. Bangladesh can export about one lakh metric tonnes of recycled yarn to India, for use in more high-end lines.
There is a huge demand for this wastage in India's Assam, Maharashtra, Hariana, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, he added.