Visiting Dutch foreign trade and development cooperation minister Lilianne Ploumen opened a cleaner production measures in textiles industries in the city Tuesday. The seminar on ‘Sustainable Wet Processing’ was jointly organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Solidaridad. The initiative titled ‘Bangladesh Water Pact: Partnership for Cleaner Textile’ is being implemented in association with leading international apparel brands, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Bangladesh Working with over 100 textile factories, the project will facilitate ‘cleaner production measures’ across the textile industry resulting in a sustainable and competitive industry, according to the organisers of the seminar Earlier, Dutch Ministers Mrs. Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and Ms. Melanie Schultz Van Haegen, Minister of Infrastructure and Environment, paid a visit to DBL Group Factories at Kashimpur, Gazipur on Monday. A multi-stakeholder delegation comprising representatives of Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Ministry for Infrastructure and the Environment of the Netherlands, Mr. Gerben de Jong, Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mr. Sheikh Mohammad Belal – Ambassador at the Bangladesh Embassy in the Netherlands, high officials from Dutch water companies, textile companies, trade unions and NGOs accompanied the Ministers. Mr. M.A. Jabbar, Managing Director, DBL Group and Mr. M.A. Rahim, Vice Chairman, DBL Group were also present during their visit, according to a media release. The visit was to intended to see the implementation of PaCT Project in DBL. PaCT seeks to bring about systemic, positive environmental change for the Bangladesh textile wet processing sector, its workers, surrounding communities and to contribute to the sector’s long-term competitiveness. PaCT is being implemented in about one hundred wet processing textile factories in Bangladesh. Besides, PaCT, DBL is also working on projects like Rice Fortification Programme, Nirapod: Saving Women from Unwanted Pregnancy & Unsafe MR etc. These projects are funded by the Netherlands government. During the visit, activity and progress of these projects have also been shared with the Ministers.
