The retailers choice to meet with ready-made garment manufacturers in any third country to negotiate business deals will shoot up the production cost. The apparel makers apprehend that besides production cost hike, they might lose orders as well, if the current situation in the country continues unabated. Following the recent terror attack in Gulshan, the global buyers and brands asked manufacturers to meet them elsewhere outside Bangladesh for business deals for the upcoming season. Some buyers have already postponed their visit and scheduled their meeting in a third country on security grounds. “Three of my buyers from Italy, France and Spain asked me to get ready for a meeting in a third country for negotiation of new orders for the coming season,” said Moshiul Alam Sajal, managing director of Posmi Sweaters. They were supposed to visit Bangladesh by the end of July and first week of August, he added. Like Sajal, a good number of manufacturers are facing the same problem. It costs over Tk4 lakh to meet the buyers in a third country, but the main problem is that a third-country meeting prevents the manufacturers from displaying a whole lot of samples since it is not possible to carry a good number of styles with them, they said. “But I am optimistic that the crisis would soon be over and the buyers will visit Bangladesh,” according to Sajal. For that the government has to take measures to ensure the safety of foreigners, he said, suggesting that the government should unearth the root of militancy and bring them to book to prevent further attacks. Terrorism or militancy is a global problem now. Both developing and developed world are facing this crisis, with all coming up with comprehensive and cooperative measures to tackle the situation. “A french buyer, who has been doing business with me over the last eight years, has cancelled his meeting,” a manufacturer said, seeking anonymity. He said at first the meeting was scheduled in Dhaka and later it was shifted to Hong Kong, but ultimately it was cancelled. Meanwhile, manufacturers fear to lose orders if there is any further attacks on the foreigners and on the countrymen. The developed world has witnessed a spate of terrorist attacks in recent weeks while their government have tackled the issue with iron hand and unearthed the attackers, said some manufacturers. If Bangladesh fails to control the situation, RMG work orders would be shifted to another country and Bangladesh will lose business, they noted. The matter is not that the businesses will shy away from Bangladesh, the cost of production will also go up for extra expense to meet buyers in a third country. It would lower profit margin ultimately. They also fear negative impact on export earnings in the current fiscal season as the orders for the next season would be booked in these two months which would be executed in November-December period. In the just-concluded fiscal year, Bangladesh RMG sector posted a 10.21% growth to over $28 billion only due to political calm and business friendly environment prevailing in the country. “We have to do business in the prevailing situation as it is a global phenomena and happening across the world,” BGMEA Vice-President Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu told the Dhaka Tribune. But the hope is the government has beefed up security in the country’s diplomatic zones, where buyers representative and foreigners live, said Babu. The authorities have also pledged to provide security on demand for business people and for their clients, he added.
