Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has launched Center of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry (CEBAI) to improve productivity through research and development. The CEBAI is designed to establish a replicable industry-driven training and support service model for Bangladesh garment sector. It will also provide certified training to improve the quality of workers and productivity in the RMG factories to enable them to have their skills formally recognised. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed unveiled the logo of the Center at a city hotel yesterday. Earlier on December 7 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Center. “The CEBAI can play a significant role by providing the garment industry with skills and need-based training for the workers,” said Tofail Ahmed. He added: “Most importantly, the Center will also regularly conduct research on the industry to keep it in the right track of the development and act as the think-tank for the apparel industry.” The objectives of the project are to boost workers’ productivity through skill development, strengthening management at factory level, setting market strategy for further value addition, suggestion for policy directives, economic forecast, said Prof Syed Forhat Anwar. Prof Anwar, who teaches at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University, made a presentation on the CEBAI. “Expansion of RMG market is very important for Bangladesh to achieve the export targets,” he said suggesting setting up of export zones abroad as the country lacks enough land. BGMEA Vice-President Reaz Bin Mahmood said the CEBAI would work to device curricula for workers’ training, make policy directives and conduct exclusive research works for the sector to achieve $50bn export target by 2021. Country director of International Labor Organisation Srinivash B Reddy said the CEBAI is aimed at building skills that the industry needs. It also would reduce gap between suppliers and buyers, he added. The CEBAI is the first integrated approach in the country to address the issues of the RMG industry both as a think tank and also as an institute where training will be provide to develop various skills, said BGMEA president Atiqul Islam. Sate Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor, University of Dhaka, Tomoko Nishimoto, Assistant Director General and Regional Director for the Asia Pacific, ILO were present at the programme.
