BGMEA
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.
BGMEA, Wagely sign MoU to facilitate financial health for RMG workers
Bangladesh Garment Manchesters and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Wagely Bangladesh Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at BGMEA Complex to raise awareness and increase the adoption of Earned Wage Access (EWA) for garment workers in Bangladesh.
On behalf of BGMEA, President Faruque Hassan inked the MoU with Wagely on Monday that aims to collaborate on making wagely’s EWA accessible to the garment industry.
“BGMEA attaches utmost importance to ensuring the wellbeing of garment workers who are at the heart of the RMG industry. Since the financial wellness of the garment workers is important for us, I believe this will help garment factories,” Faruque Hassan said.
He expressed hope that the initiative of wagely will a play an important role in improving the financial health of more than 4 million garment workers in the RMG sector.
wagely is building a holistic financial wellness platform with EWA at its core that lets workers of partner employers access their earned salary in real-time and financial education.
Read: Bangladesh to stay safe, sustainable apparel sourcing destination: BGMEA
This is proven to reduce worker migration, improve productivity, and increase business savings, BGMEA said on Tuesday.
“We are very grateful to receive this immense support from BGMEA and are strongly committed to increasing financial wellbeing for Bangladeshi workers” said Tobias Fischer, CEO and Co-Founder of wagely.
BGMEA and wagely will jointly move forward to raise awareness and increase the adoption of EWA for the workers and support each other in educating and uplifting financial health as it expands into becoming a holistic financial platform for all users.
BGMEA Vice President Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Press, Publication and Publicity Shovon Islam, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Fair Mohammed Kamal Uddin, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Arbitration-1 M. Kafil Uddin Ahmed and Director of Giant Group Ashaab Adeeb Hassan were also present at the MoU signing ceremony.
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."
BGMEA, GarmentTechBD to collaborate in improving supply chain management skills
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Academy of Garments Technology Bangladesh (GarmentTechBD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in providing training to mid-level management in the RMG industry to improve their knowledge and skills in supply chain management and other self-improvement fields.
Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA, and Zhuang Lifeng, founding President of Overseas Chinese Association in Bangladesh (OCAIB) and Managing Director of Academy of Garments Technology Bangladesh inked the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations on Tuesday.
As per the understanding, BGMEA and GarmentTechBD will collaborate in conducting survey and study in garment factories to assess training needs and design training courses accordingly.
Read: Bangladesh to stay safe, sustainable apparel sourcing destination: BGMEA
GarmentTechBD will provide training to mid-level management employees in supply chain management and other skills development.
SM Mannan (Kochi), Senior Vice President of BGMEA; Md. Faizur Rahman, Secretary General of BGMEA; Abdus Salam, Adviser; Md. Panna Rahman, Project Leader; Jahangir Alam Joy, Head of HR, Admin and Compliance; and Mohammad Hasan Imam, Senior General Manager of GarmentTechBD were also present at the MoU signing ceremony held at BGMEA Complex.
BGMEA teams up with upay to disburse stipends among RMG officials, workers
The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have signed an agreement with mobile financial services provider to disburse stipends among mid-level readymade garments (RMG) officials and workers.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan and upay Managing Director and CEO Rezaul Hossain inked the deal in Dhaka Thursday.
Under this agreement, the participants of the BGMEA-SEIP skill development project, an initiative for skill development of mid-level officials and workers of the RMG sector, will receive their stipend directly into their upay accounts.
Read: Norway can help accelerate green growth of Bangladesh's RMG: BGMEA
The BGMEA-SEIP is jointly funded by the government and the Asian Development Bank and is being implemented by the BGMEA.
Faruque said: "The RMG industry is gearing up for the next level of growth where skill development is a top priority to equip the workforce with the skills and knowledge to meet the need of the industry in the coming days."
Strengthening business interactions to benefit both Bangladesh, India: BGMEA
– Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Wednesday said Bangladesh is seeking to harness the potential of man-made fibre (MMF) apparel export as the demand for clothing made of synthetic materials is rising globally.
In alignment with the global trend and demand, the RMG industry of Bangladesh is strongly focusing on diversifying RMG product basket, especially to non-cotton and high-value items, it said.
On the other hand, India has a big textile sector having a considerable capacity of supplying man-made fibre and blended textile products while the country is also a promising destination for Bangladeshi RMG exports.
The business situation has created opportunities for Bangladesh and India to drive development in the RMG and textile industry in both countries.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan came up with the observations while speaking at a meeting with Dhiraj Raichand Shah, Chairman of The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC).
BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Fair Kamal Uddin, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Cash Incentive Humayun Kabir Salim and Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Schedule Bank Md. Israfil Atique were also present at the meeting held at BGMEA Complex in Dhaka.
Read: BGMEA seeks uninterrupted energy supply by special arrangements
Faruque Hassan laid emphasis on increasing more direct business interactions between Bangladeshi RMG exporters and Indian textile products suppliers to strengthen the reciprocal relationship that would be useful for both sides.
SRTEPC Chairman Dhiraj Raichand Shah invited BGMEA to participate in the Source India Mumbai exhibition which will be held in Mumbai from 28th November to 30th November, 2022.
Different categories of the latest range of Indian textile products including Fibre, Yarn, Fabrics for Men’s and Women’s Wear, Home Textiles, Made-ups, Technical textiles, etc. will be displayed in the exhibition.
The BGMEA President invited the SRTEPC Chairman to the “Made in Bangladesh Week” which will be organized by BGMEA to showcase prospects and strengths of the RMG industry.
Bangladesh-Sweden further cooperation can yield more mutual benefits: BGMEA
Bangladesh and Sweden have considerable scope for deriving mutual benefits by strengthening and expanding collaboration in various potential areas of trade and investment, BGMEA said on Tuesday.
Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh Alex Berg von Linde met BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at his office and discussed possible avenues of boosting bilateral trade.
They also discussed how Sweden could support the sustainable development of Bangladesh’s RMG industry which aims to amplify its efforts to pursue growth in a sustainable manner to have positive impacts on the people and the planet.
Read: BGMEA, OCAIB willing to collaborate on supply chain management training
At the meeting, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said the RMG industry aspires to enhance its competitiveness through diversifying products, upgrading technologies, adopting innovative production solutions and developing skills of workforce.
He said, “While we are placing utmost importance to building our capacities, we are also equally giving priority to the issue of sustainability in the RMG industry. The industry’s growth vision is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
Sweden could support the industry in the areas of renewable energy, innovation, technology transfer and green growth, he opined.
Faruque Hassan invited the envoy to the “Made in Bangladesh Week” which will be organized by BGMEA on 12-18 November this year to showcase the prospects and strengths of the RMG industry.
Read:Bangladesh can be front-runner in adopting circularity in RMG: BGMEA
Ambassador Alex Berg von Linde applauded the leadership role of Bangladesh’s RMG industry in environmental sustainability and expressed high optimism about extending cooperation of Sweden to the industry to pursue further strides in sustainability.
BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President Md. Nasir Uddin, Directors Haroon Ar Rashid, Rajiv Chowdhury, Mijanur Rahman, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Cash Incentive Humayun Kabir Salim, and Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Schedule Bank Md. Israfil Atique were also present at the meeting.
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.
IFC-led PaCT helped factories cut carbon and water footprints: BGMEA
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said the International Finance Corporation (IFC)-led Advisory Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) has helped participating factories cut carbon and water footprints.
PaCT is a holistic programme that supports the entire textile value chain – spinning, weaving, wet processing and garment factories in adopting cleaner production practices and engages with brands, technology suppliers, industrial associations, financial institutions, government to bring about systemic and positive environmental change for the Bangladesh textile sector and contribute to the sector's long-term competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan thanked the IFC for its continued support for the apparel industry over the past few decades.
Read: Bangladesh, Indonesia need to work together as partners: BGMEA chief
Nishat Chowdhury, programme manager of PaCT, paid a visit to Faruque in Dhaka Sunday.
They had discussions about the progress of the ongoing projects which are being implemented by the BGMEA with the financial support of IFC for the development of the RMG industry.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has already funded several studies for the apparel sector to explore its opportunities and ways to realise them.
One of the studies aims to identify the potential scope of non-cotton textile and apparel for Bangladesh in the global apparel market and formulate a strategy to develop the country's overall competitiveness and strength in the area.
Another study is being conducted on the readymade garment (RMG) sector's recovery roadmap.