BGMEA
BGMEA delegation meets US State Department official to discuss RMG issues
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have discussed issues relevant to Bangladesh's readymade garments (RMG) industry, including its current challenges, prospects, and preparedness to pursue the next level of development and growth.
The discussion also encompassed the industry's efforts and initiatives to carry forward the achievements made in workplace safety, environmental sustainability, workers' rights and well-being.
A BGMEA delegation headed by its President Faruque Hassan met with Ania Canavan, economic unit chief of the State Department Office of Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan Affairs, at a hotel in Dhaka Monday.
The delegation included vice-presidents Md Nasir Uddin, Miran Ali; directors Asif Ashraf, Abdullah Hil Rakib and Haroon Ar Rashid.
Scott Brandon, political and economic counselor at the US Embassy in Dhaka, Matthew Beh, first secretary (political/labour) at the US Embassy, Kaitlyn Denzler, crisis, stabilization, and governance foreign service officer at USAID Bangladesh; and Md Saifuzzaman Mehrab, labour specialist at the US Embassy Dhaka, were also present at the meeting.
Read more: BGMEA, Recover discuss collaboration to turn Bangladesh into global recycling hub
Faruque informed Ania about Bangladesh's apparel industry's strides in the area of environmental sustainability, saying the country has the highest number of green garment factories in the world.
He also briefed her about the progress made by Bangladesh in improving trade union activities, workplace safety, wages, skills development and labour welfare.
Read more: BGMEA urges Rajuk to allocate land for apparel club for foreign nationals
BGMEA urges Rajuk to allocate land for apparel club for foreign nationals
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to allocate land at Purbachal to build an apparel club to facilitate the meeting and recreation of foreign nationals working for global brands and buyers in Bangladesh offices and apparel factories.
The club would help to build a good rapport with the foreign nationals and expats working in the readymade garments (RMG) sector, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Monday.
He met with Rajuk Chairman Md Anisur Rahman Miah at his office in Dhaka. BGMEA Vice-President Miran Ali was also present.
Faruque talked about the achievements of the RMG industry that have boosted the trust and confidence of global buyers in the garments with the "Made in Bangladesh" tag.
Now global brands and buyers are more interested in expanding their business in Bangladesh, he said.
BGMEA wants faster, simplified services from custom houses
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged Custom House to deliver faster and more simplified services to apparel exporters.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said: "Given the stiff competition in the global apparel market, the shorter lead time will help readymade garments (RMG) factories become more competitive in the export market. If custom clearance procedures are made more simplified and quicker, it will save time in shipping export goods."
Read: BGMEA, Recover discuss collaboration to turn Bangladesh into global recycling hub
Faruque had a meeting with AKM Nurul Huda Azad, commissioner of Dhaka Custom House, Sunday.
BGMEA Director Asif Ashraf, Abdullah Hil Rakib; Dhaka Custom House additional commissioners Kazi Farid Uddin, and Md Moshiur Rahman were also present at the meeting held in Dhaka.
They discussed issues related to the RMG industry, particularly the problems faced by RMG exporters regarding custom house services.
Read: BGMEA seeks faster, simplified customs bond services
Faruque said the RMG industry has set a target of earing $100 billion from exports by 2030, which requires a holistic approach and support from the government.
"As we are aiming for higher growth to increase our global market share in the coming days, faster and easier import-export services will be required to reduce lead time and cost," he added.
Nurul assured of the BGMEA of their cooperation and support in this regard.
Bangladesh's apparel sees highest growth in EU during January-August
The European Union's (EU) apparel imports from Bangladesh saw the highest growth among all the top exporter countries during January-August this year, Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, said.
During the first eight months of 2022, the EU imported clothing worth $67.18 billion from around the world, including $15.37 billion from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh remained the second largest apparel import source for Europe with a 22.89 percent share of the EU's total apparel import.
The EU's apparel import from Bangladesh increased by 45.26 percent during the first eight months of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
Read more: BGMEA wants increased police vigilance to stop RMG goods theft during transportation
China, the top apparel import source for the EU, had 28.06 percent share, registering 26.59 percent year-on-year growth. The EU's apparel imports from the country reached $18.85 billion in January-August this year.
"While China had the larger share of the EU's total apparel import, Bangladesh saw better export growth than it," Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director Md Mohiuddin Rubel said.
Turkey, the third largest source for the EU, posted 20.38 percent growth during the same period. The EU's imports from the country grew by 16.97 percent.
Also, the EU imported apparel worth $3.56 billion from India. The EU's imports from the country grew by 28.85 percent compared to the previous year.
Read more: Initiatives taken to establish fair price shops for RMG workers
Other top countries having high growth were Cambodia 42.21 percent, Pakistan 31.34 percent, and Indonesia 35.41 percent.
"Bangladesh's apparel has always done well in the European market. So far the import figure of the EU indicates a good position for Bangladesh's apparel in the market. Numbers from January to August indicate that the EU's imports from Bangladesh will maintain a positive trend till September," Rubel said.
"However, it may slow down afterward as retail sales are already affected by geopolitical tension, global economic turmoil, and buyers being cautious about overstock and current production."
Read More: Bangladesh seeks zero tariffs on apparel exports to US at 6th TICFA meeting
BGMEA, Recover discuss collaboration to turn Bangladesh into global recycling hub
Recover, a global producer of low-impact, high-quality recycled cotton fibre and fibre blends, and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have discussed a possible collaboration to enhance the capacity of recycling the textile waste in Bangladesh to make the country a global hub of recycling.
They expressed high optimism about developing the recycling industry in Bangladesh as 75 percent of apparel products are cotton-based and nearly 400,000 tons of recyclable pre-consumer waste is produced in Bangladesh every year, of which only 5 percent is locally recycled.
Benjamin Joseph Malka, executive chairman of Recover, met with BGMEA President Faruque in Dhaka Wednesday.
Alejandro Raña, chief business development officer, at Recover, was also present at the meeting.
Read more: Bangladesh's RMG bracing for next phase of growth: BGMEA
"We see a huge prospect in developing the recycling industry in Bangladesh. By capturing and reusing textile waste, we can reduce our cotton import and export clothing, made of recycled fibres, worth around USD 3 billion," Faruque said.
Bangladesh's apparel industry has turned its focus on a shift from the linear economic model to circular as a circular fashion system could bring not only environmental but financial benefits for Bangladesh, he added.
BGMEA has already entered into a partnership with Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), Reverse Resources, and P4G in an initiative "Circular Fashion Partnership" which aims to achieve a long-term, scalable transition to a circular fashion system.
Read more: BGMEA seeks uninterrupted energy supply by special arrangements
Ben said Recover had already made a huge investment in the recycling industry of Bangladesh and was keen to invest more to develop the recycling capacity in the country.
Dhaka-Incheon direct cargo flights launched by TAD Logistic
TAD Logistic has launched direct cargo flights between Dhaka to Incheon (South Korea).
The third flight was operated last Saturday, said a media release on Monday.
Read more: NOVOAIR to operate Jashore-Cox’s Bazar direct flights from Nov 30
According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), this fiscal year, Korea will export a diverse range of garments such as underwear, denim, shirts, jackets and pullovers worth $1 billion.
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs now have an opportunity to capture the Korean market as garment manufacturing is increasingly moving out of China due to continued cost increases, business people say.
Korea currently sources 34% of its apparel demand from Beijing.
Tad Group Managing Director, Md. Ashikur Rahman Tuhin said, " This direct flight will operate twice a week. Based on demand, we want to increase the number of flights to five per week. This will increase the export of perishable products from Bangladesh. The major exports from Bangladesh to South Korea are leather, leather products, crab, RMG, fish and human hair."
Read more: Bangladesh-Vietnam direct flights may begin this year-end
He also said that now entrepreneurs are looking for reliable options to import and export products to keep pace with market demand and maintain business continuity. This service will save time and ensure the arrival of any urgent product within one day.
According to a data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh's share of the Korean apparel market has been increasing since 2017, albeit at a slower pace, and in fiscal year 2022 it earned $440 million in export revenue, which is more than 4%.
BGMEA urges BEZA to speed up garment village construction at Mirsarai
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) to speed up construction of the garment village at Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar in Mirsarai, Chattogram to make it operational for industries in the shortest possible time.
If the industrial plots get ready, apparel factories would be able to go into operation and create employment opportunities for a huge number of people while bringing foreign exchange as export earnings, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said during a meeting with BEZA at its office in Dhaka Monday (November 28, 2022).
Read more: BGMEA wants increased police vigilance to stop RMG goods theft during transportation
Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman were present as chief guest at the meeting chaired by BEZA Executive Chairman Shaikh Yusuf Harun.
Former BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman; BGMEA vice-presidents Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Md Nasir Uddin, and Director Md M Mohiuddin Chowdhury were also present at the meeting.
Faruque said completion of the industrial site would help RMG exporters to set up factories and thus contribute to propelling the industrial growth in Bangladesh.
Read More: BGMEA for ensuring workers' health, well-being for improving productivity
BGMEA for faster, simplified customs bond services
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the Customs Bond Commissionerate (CBC) to provide faster and more simplified services to the apparel industry.
The trade association also called for removing complexities in the inclusion of descriptions of raw materials and other related materials with their harmonised system codes in bond licences.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the request during his meeting with CBC Commissioner (Dhaka South) Mohammad Ahsanul Haque, and CBC Commissioner (Dhaka North) Md Azizur Rahman in Dhaka Monday.
BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim was also present at the meeting.
The BGMEA leaders informed the CBC commissioners about the problems faced by the readymade garments (RMG) factories regarding customs bond-related services.
Read more: Can’t control global economy, but want to boost exports: BGMEA president
They sought cooperation from CBC to remove all obstacles in the customs bond-related issues.
Faruque said the RMG industry aims to increase its global market share in the coming days. "The sector needs faster services to reduce lead time and the cost incurred due to delayed services."
To seize the opportunities that lie ahead of the RMG industry, business procedures, especially customs and bond-related ones, should be made more simplified and quicker, he added.
The two commissioners assured the BGMEA leaders of their cooperation.
Read more: BGMEA wants increased police vigilance to stop RMG goods theft during transportation
BGMEA wants increased police vigilance to stop RMG goods theft during transportation
Law enforcement agencies need to increase vigilance on the highways to prevent the theft of RMG export goods, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said: "The RMG industry of Bangladesh has earned a global reputation as the safest and greenest industry in the world, and it's an achievement that we all have to retain."
Read: Bangladesh RMG industry emphasizes technologies to enhance competitiveness, transparency: BGMEA chief
Leaders of BGMEA and the Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association have underscored the need for concerted efforts of exporters, transport owners, police administration and other parties to prevent theft of apparel goods during transportation.
The call came from a meeting held between the two associations in Dhaka Monday.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan, Vice-President Md Shahidullah Azim; Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association President Tofazzal Hossain Majumder, Executive President Syed Md Bakhtiar, and General Secretary Rustom Ali Khan were present at the meeting.
They sat together to discuss measures and ways to stop readymade garments (RMG) export goods theft on the Dhaka-Chattagram highway.
Read: BGMEA chief stresses nutritious diet for workers’ health, productivity
Apart from financial losses, stealing incidents put exporters in an embarrassing situation when such cases are detected after products reach buyers, the associations said.
Also, they urged all garment factories to keep the photos of drivers, helpers and travel documents, including licences of trucks and covered vans as a precautionary measure.
The BGMEA leaders urged the Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association to ensure that a GPS tracker is installed in all goods-laden cargo vans to stop stealing during transportation.
Bangladesh preferred apparel sourcing destination globally for world-class safety: BGMEA
Bangladesh is a preferred destination of apparel sourcing among global buyers for its world-class workplace safety and environmental sustainability, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said.
The exemplary strides made by the RMG industry of Bangladesh in workplace safety, sustainability and ensuring workers' well-being have boosted the confidence of brands and buyers, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 8th International Fire, Safety and Security Expo 2022 organised by the Electronics Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB) at Bashundhara International Convention Center in Dhaka Thursday.
Read: BGMEA for ensuring workers' health, well-being for improving productivity
Planning Minister MA Mannan attended the inaugural ceremony as chief guest.
Faruque said: "To create awareness and culture of safety among the workers and employees, several training programmes on occupational safety and health and social dialogue and industrial relations were taken by the government of Bangladesh, the International Labour Organization, associations, brands and factories."
Read: BGMEA chief stresses nutritious diet for workers’ health, productivity
"As a result of all these initiatives and efforts, Bangladesh is today globally recognised as one of the safest apparel manufacturing countries. Also, to carry forward the progress made by the unilateral safety regimes and to establish national self-monitoring, the RMG Sustainability Council has been established."
Md Jasim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Brigadier General Md Main Uddin, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, and Zahir Uddin Babar, president of ESSAB, also spoke at the event.