Experts at a seminar on Thursday stressed the importance of investing in training of manpower in the readymade garment sector and diversifying products and markets for branding Bangladesh. ‘Invest in training, machinery and engineering to increase productivity and diversify markets and products to brand Bangladesh,’ Jenifer Bair, professor of Colorado University of US, suggested the Bangladeshi garment makers at the seminar on branding Bangladesh at the Radission Hotel in Chittagong. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association organised the seminar on the first day of the three-day Bangladesh Apparel and Safety Expo. ‘Develop capacity to supply higher value apparel products,’ Jenifer said urging that mid-level management should be trained as per demand. She also urged the government to create stable environment for equitable growth and to maintain momentum on labour reforms. US ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Barnicat said the RMG manufacturers have to ensure that products are made in line with international standards and concentrate on innovation, productivity, introduction of technology to brand Bangladesh. She urged businesses to make product which is competitive and unique. Barnicat also stressed the importance of an inclusive development in democratic society, where everyone could raise voice. Former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said Bangladesh needs to come out from the vicious cycle of cheapest labour and cheapest prices. ‘We are not the cheapest, but we are the best,’ he said. ‘The retailers always put pressure for ethical sourcing of garment items. But, what is about ethical quality of buying practices?’ Roger Hubert, country head of the Swedish retail firm H & M, said Bangladesh needed to increase efficiency, production of high-end garment items and keeping promises to the retailers for achieving the target of getting higher prices. Rubana Huq, managing director of Mohammadi Group, moderated the discussion where Syed Ferhat Anwar, a professor of Institute of Business Administration of the University of Dhaka, presented the keynote paper. Earlier, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed inaugurated the three-day apparel and fire safety equipment expo at the same venue. Presided over by BGMEA president Atiqul Islam, the function was addressed, among others, by member of the European Parliament and chair of the European Parliament for Trade and Monitoring Group for South Asia Sajjad Karim, ambassador and the head of delegation of the European to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon, US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Benoit-Pierre LaraMee and Chittagong city mayor AJM Nasir Uddin. Tofail requested the delegates and the guests of honour to extend the hand of assistance and to give required pricing for the RMG products so that Bangladesh could reach its desired goal of $50 billion export by 2021. A roadmap, reaching $50 billion export target by 2021, prepared considering the proposals gathered at the Dhaka Apparel Summit last year was handed over on Thursday to the government by the BGMEA president. Addressing the session Bernicat termed it an ambitious goal saying that it could only be achieved if Bangladesh could ensure proper safety initiatives. Tofail, however, said that Bangladesh had developed significantly in the RMG sector and now there was no child labour in this sector. A specialised RMG zone will be set up at Boushia in Munshiganj with $2.3 billion and Mirswarai, Anwara, Chittagong city would also have such zones soon, the commerce minister said at the programme. The expo would showcase the country’s garment products to the international buyers as well as familiarise the factory owners with the world-class safety equipments.
