A three-day Bangladesh Apparel & Safety Exposition will kick off in Chittagong this week to help promote the vision of US$ 50 billion garment exports by 2021. ommerce Minister Tofael Ahmed will inaugurate the August 6-9 exposition as the chief guest to be held at the Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View and organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam and State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Zaved will attend the expo as the special guests while Finance, Commerce and Foreign Secretaries are scheduled to attend the expo. The mega-expo will showcase apparel products and provide an opportunity to global retailers to meet experienced clothing manufacturers of Bangladesh. First vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Nasir Ahmed Chowdhury disclosed this at a press briefing in the city this afternoon. Nasir said choosing Chittagong as the host city of the event bears special significance. Chittagong is the commercial hub of Bangladesh as 95 per cent of the country’s seaborne exports and imports are handled in Chittagong Port. He said that the country’s garment industry started its journey in this port city in 1978 and till now a significant portion of the country’s apparel export is generated from Chittagong. Moreover, the first and largest export processing zone (EPZ) of the country is situated in this city. Nasir said the safety pavilion of the expo is intended to acquaint local apparel manufacturers with a wide range of safety equipment and service providers. The event aims at facilitating dialogue among stakeholders in four informative seminars to devise ways for Bangladesh to pursue its $50 billion vision and become a premium brand worldwide by 2021. The event will also showcase the caliber and cultural talent of Bangladesh garment workers. Riding on 35 years of experience, Bangladesh is regarded as one of the preferred apparel sourcing destinations in the world. He expressed the hope that the exposition would play a pivotal role in exploring the sector’s potential and ensuring a safe and sustainable apparel sector in Bangladesh.
