An inclusive and equality-based based policy is essential for the further development of the country’s knitwear sector, BKMEA leaders said Friday. They also said dialogue with all stakeholders of the sector is crucial to identifying and providing solution to the challenges. Leaders of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) came up with the opinion at a discussion with the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) intended to define future policy aimed at fostering the sector’s growth. The discussion was held at the city office of the national trade body, the BKMEA said in a statement. BKMEA president A.K.M. Salim Osman and CPD’s Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem represented their respective sides at the dialogue. The trade body’s second vice president Fazle Shamim Ehsan, its head of research Md. Faruk Hossain and CPD’s programme coordinator Laila Firdaus also attended the dialogue. In his speech, Salim Osman said the knitwear manufacturing sector was making huge contribution to the national economy. Discussions with the participation of all stakeholders are a must to identify and resolve the crisis, he said. He also said the dialogue should reflect the opinion of both owners and workers of knitwear businesses. “Above all, the national interest must be preferred at any discussion involving the sector’s development,” he said. The BKMEA president also called upon the CPD to organise dialogue with the knitwear industry owners’ and workers’ participation to define future development working plan. Mr Osman also requested the civil society think-tanks to do research and find out the sector’s challenges for further growth including global market expansion, recent price drop and changing global economy. He also pledged to extend his support to the CPD for conducting Ready Made Garment (RMG) Study. In response, Khondaker Golam Moazzem vowed to reflect the BKMEA’s philosophy in the RMG study for the expected growth of the knitwear sector. He said that the dialogue between the two organisations will be more progressive in the coming days and contribute to the country’s economy.
