BGMEA
Sustainable technologies: Brac, BGMEA to team up to support apparel factories
Brac has expressed interest in partnering with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to support the apparel factories in adopting sustainable technological solutions and with relevant knowledge.
A Brac delegation met BGMEA President Faruque Hassan Saturday. BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim also attended the meeting.
They discussed possible areas where the BGMEA and Brac could work together for the betterment of the readymade garments (RMG) industry.
Read: Apparel industry carrying 'Made in Bangladesh' mark across the world: BGMEA
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Bangladesh's RMG industry has made considerable strides towards environmental sustainability and has continued its efforts in the area.
He called upon Brac to support garment factories, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in embracing technological solutions for cleaner production.
Read: Apparel makers urged not to take export orders without justified rate
The Brac delegation included Barrister SK Jenefa K Jabbar, director of human rights and legal aid services, social compliance and safeguarding at Brac; Md Zillur Rahman, programme head of Brac water, sanitation and hygiene programme; Khadiza Ahmed, senior manager, Mahjabeen Ahmed, manager, knowledge management, innovation and fundraising; Patrick Mostyn, programmes partnerships manager for Asia, Brac UK, and Coral Flemming, program partnership officer, Brac UK.
Apparel industry carrying 'Made in Bangladesh' mark across the world: BGMEA
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan Thursday said the readymade garments (RMG) industry is not only making a contribution to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh but also bringing glory to the nation.
"The apparel industry is carrying the 'Made in Bangladesh' trademark across the world and we are all proud of it. The industry belongs to all people of this country. The development of the sector means the development of Bangladesh and betterment of its people," he said.
The BGMEA chief said the next phase of Bangladesh's economic growth will largely depend on the industrial sector where the apparel industry will play a pivotal role. "So it is everyone's responsibility to protect the industry."
Read:BGMEA for branding 'Made in Bangladesh'
Faruque was speaking at the event "Sustainability of the Apparel Industry of Bangladesh: Policies, Scopes and Constraints" organised by Solidaridad Network Asia and ESTex Foundation at a city hotel.
The programme aimed to provide a platform to policymakers and sectoral stakeholders to highlight the policy gaps and needs and constraints and to explore new opportunities and initiate pathways for implementing solutions to the environmental, social, and economic issues to achieve sustainability of the apparel industry of Bangladesh.
Faruque called on brands and retailers to be rational in terms of pricing to make the supply chain resilient and sustainable.
Also read: BGMEA shares RMG success stories at IAF meeting
There is a sharp disconnect between sustainability and pricing mechanisms, and the factories are investing more in safety and sustainability, he said.
"Also, prices of yarn, chemicals and other raw materials in the global supply chain have pushed up production costs in garment manufacturing. But prices are not being offered in line with that. The gap needs to be closed," said the BGMEA chief.
Mohammad Hasan Arif, general manager of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, Selim Reza Hasan, country manager of Solidaridad Network Asia, Syed Naved Husain, group director of Beximco, and Dr Mohidus Samad Khan also attended the programme.
BGMEA seeks support of all to protect interests of RMG sector
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President has sought support from all the stakeholders to protect the interests of the RMG industry, especially at the present situation when the sector is passing a critical period.
“Support and cooperation of all including the government, entrepreneurs and workers are needed to protect the interests of RMG industry,” he said.
While the apparel sector is yet to fully recover from the impacts of the Covid-19, the hike in prices of yarn, cotton, dyes, chemicals and other raw materials has pushed the production cost up, said the BGMEA chief.
He made the remarks during a meeting with State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian and Labour and Employment Secretary Md. Ehsan-E-Elahi held on Wednesday, said the BGMEA on Thursday.
Read:BGMEA for branding 'Made in Bangladesh'
He said the prices are not offered in accordance with the increased production costs. “Besides, the recent surge in Covid infection in some European countries has raised concerns among the exporters.”
“In such critical context, we all have to work together so that our apparel industry can face all the challenges and remain competitive in the global market,” said the BGMEA chief.
Former BGMEA Presidents Md. Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) MP, Abdus Salam Murshedy MP and Md. Siddiqur Rahman, incumbent BGMEA Senior Vice President SM Mannan (Kochi), Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Directors Abdullah Hil Rakib, Haroon Ar Rashid, Rajiv Chowdhury and former Director ANM Saifuddin were present at the meeting held at the residence of the State Minister.
Also read: BGMEA shares RMG success stories at IAF meeting
They had discussion on the overall situation of the ready-made garment industry, including its challenges and opportunities.
The BGMEA leaders thanked the government for providing support to the RMG industry during its difficult times.
Reduce fuel prices to facilitate economic recovery: BGMEA
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Faruk Hasan has urged the government to reconsider the decision of fuel price hike for creating a stable business atmosphere.
He said that the production and transportation costs of the RMG sector have increased by 5 per cent after the recent hike in diesel price, the BGMEA president said at a press conference in a city hotel on Saturday.
READ: Fuel prices hiked in line with global market: PM
“We haven't had much employment in the last two years because of Coronavirus. In order to increase investment and employment, it is necessary to facilitate business and continue existing policy,” Faruk Hasan said.
BGMEA chief for exploring cost-effective and eco-friendly dyes, chemicals
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has called on dyes and chemicals manufacturers to explore more cost-effective and eco-friendly dyes, chemicals and technologies for ensuring sustainable textile manufacturing.
He also urged the technicians working in the textile sector to stay updated on the latest technologies so that they can reduce the wastage of chemicals and dyes during the production process.
Read:BGMEA for branding 'Made in Bangladesh'
He made the call while addressing a programme organised on the 25th anniversary of Swiss Colours Bangladesh in Dhaka Wednesday.
Faruque said prices of yarn, chemicals and other raw materials have gone up in the global supply chain, increasing production costs in garment manufacturing.
He requested brands and buyers to increase prices considering the issue.
Technology upgradation crucial for RMG industry to stay competitive: BGMEA
Technology upgradation in the apparel industry is crucial to remain competitive in the global market, said the apex trade body of Bangladesh's garments manufacturers.
"Use of modern technologies, tools and software are predominant when it comes to enhancing productivity and quality," Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan said while speaking at the webinar "AI & Robotics: Global Implication of Artificial Intelligence" Sunday.
Read: BGMEA wins 'WITSA Global ICT Excellence Award' for workers' biometric database
The webinar was organised as a part of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) – held during November 11-14 in Dhaka with the participation of experts from more than 75 countries.
Faruque said technological innovations are imperative not only to enhance competitiveness but also to make a business sustainable. "There is no alternative to technologies to ensure sustainable use of water, energy and other resources. Sustainability and digitalisation are interlinked and greatly complement each other."
Automation and technology upgradation will not impact employment adversely because all the processes required to make a garment cannot be replaced by machines, the BGMEA chief said.
"However, we should train our people with the right skills to operate new generation technologies. We need to turn the challenge into an opportunity through re-skilling and up-skilling."
Read:Post-LDC era: BGMEA seeks British lawmakers' support to retain market access
Ariyan M Kabir, co-founder and CEO of GrayMatter Robotics Inc, Professor Genci Capi of the Hosei University of Japan, and Dr Patrick Meier, co-founder and CEO of WeRobotics, also joined the discussion.
Lafifa Jamal, professor of robotics and mechatronics engineering at the University of Dhaka, moderated it.
BGMEA wins 'WITSA Global ICT Excellence Award' for workers' biometric database
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has been awarded the "WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards" in "sustainable growth or circular economy" category for using "biometric identity and worker information management system"
The award was given at the 25th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2021) in Dhaka Saturday. BGMEA Director Rajiv Chowdhury received the award on behalf of the association.
Shahid-Ul-Munir, vice chairman of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) for Asia-Pacific, handed over the award.
WITSA is the leading recognised voice of the global digital technology industry, whose members from over 80 countries and economies represent more than 90 per cent of the world's ICT market.
Read: BGMEA chief urges UK buyers to raise prices
The WITSA Awards recognise the entities that made the most significant contributions to mankind in 2021.
The BGMEA started preparing a biometric database of garment workers in 2013.
The "biometric identity and worker information management system" stores workers' records, including information related to their employment and identities in the local and cloud server databases.
Now the database is being used by about 2,500 member factories of the BGMEA for more than 4 million workers every day.
Also, the BGMEA and Brac University (BracU) is collaborating to develop a digital repository of the workers of the export-oriented apparel industry.
Read: BGMEA stresses ethical sourcing for sustainable supply chain
The repository can be used to design significant interventions and formulate policies for the workers' well-being.
The BGMEA and BracU also inked an agreement in 2016 to support the collection of credible and comprehensive data about the apparel industry and prepare a publicly accessible interactive online map of the industry under the project "Mapped in Bangladesh."
Post-LDC era: BGMEA seeks British lawmakers' support to retain market access
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has sought the British lawmakers' support for the continuation of duty-benefit for the country after it graduates from the least developed countries (LDCs) category.
He met with UK lawmakers Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq in London Saturday.
They discussed various issues, including cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh on LDC graduation, possible changes in the tariff regime and how Bangladesh can retain its access to the UK market in the post-LDC era.
Read: BGMEA chief urges UK buyers to raise prices
During the meeting, Faruque stressed the need for engagement of non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in the development of the country.
He said NRBs have the immense potential to contribute more to Bangladesh's development with their skills, technical expertise, knowledge and investment.
Many UK-based NRBs are well-established businessmen, academicians, researchers, and several of them also hold influential positions in governments as politicians and members of parliaments.
They can play a significant role in shaping the financial, social and economic conditions of the country, the BGMEA chief said.
Read: BGMEA stresses ethical sourcing for sustainable supply chain
He sought the cooperation of the two British MPs in encouraging Bangladeshis living in the UK to invest in different potential sectors of Bangladesh, including high value-added and non-cotton textiles.
Faruque also informed the British MPs about the strides made by Bangladesh's apparel industry over the years in safety, sustainability and social compliance.
BGMEA to collaborate with Primark on sustainability ambition
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) leaders have met with Primark and its Associated British Foods (ABF) parent’s leaders to discuss Primark’s new wide-reaching sustainability strategy.BGMEA President Faruque Hassan, Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Asif Ashraf and Abdullah Hil Rakib met with Paul Lister, Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary ABF, Paul Marchant, CEO Primark, Lynne Walker, Director Primark Cares and Juan Chaparro, Group Director Supply Chain, Sourcing and Quality in London to discuss Primark’s new sustainability strategy Primark Cares, and BGMEA’s support for its sustainability ambitions.
Also read: BGMEA sees the future in value-added, high-end apparel items
BGMEA expressed its support for the objectives Primark has set out to change the ways its clothes are made, halve its carbon emissions across its wider supply chain and improve the lives of the workers in the supply chain, BGMEA said on Saturday.Bangladesh is Primark’s second largest sourcing market and home to many of Primark’s strategic suppliers and their factories.The BGMEA’s support, as one of the country’s largest trade associations for the garment industry, can play a valuable role in helping engage its members in Primark’s sustainability goals.Both parties discussed the new commitments which Primark will work towards over the next decade in greater detail: Primark has been deliberately ambitious in its goals, stretching targets across its use of recycled materials, environmental footprint and how it will take a leadership role in improving the lives and wellbeing of workers in its supply chain.This means that delivering many of the new commitments will rely on driving change throughout Primark’s wider supply chain, so gaining the support of external stakeholders, such as the BGMEA, is important.
Also read: BGMEA seeks Laudes Foundation's support for its new centreBoth Primark and the BGMEA have shared goals around sustainability, in particular around workers’ wellbeing and skills development, and look forward to sharing experiences and best practices with each other into the future.
BGMEA showcases RMG industry’s strides in sustainability in COP26
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has showcased RMG industry’s strides in sustainability in COP26.
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) began in Glasgow, Scotland on October 31.
A pavilion of Bangladesh was inaugurated in the official venue of COP26 on November 1.
BGMEA’s official delegation to the COP26 headed by its President Faruque Hassan attended the inaugural ceremony.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, MP was present at the inaugural ceremony, said BGMEA on Tuesday.
The BGMEA delegation also included Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Asif Ashraf and Abdullah Hil Rakib, and Shams Mahmud, Managing Director of Shasha Denims Ltd.
One of the objectives of BGMEA was to showcase all the good works of the RMG sector on sustainability and highlight green revolutions and commitments.
Read: BGMEA sees the future in value-added, high-end apparel items