Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile officially launched the Textile Sustainability Platform recently, aiming to promote efficiency in use of resources and environmental sustainability in the country’s lucrative textile sector. PaCT is a partnership between textile wet processing factories in Bangladesh, international apparel buyers, wet processing technology suppliers, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dhaka), the International Finance Corporation, and the NGO Solidaridad, according to the programme’s own website. The TSP will act as a national-level dialogue programme, providing the social capital for dialogue between the public and the private institutions by convening stakeholders related to the textile sector to work collectively towards lowering sectoral barriers, and improving the policy and regulatory framework. The TSP will operate through working groups that focus on policy and regulations, voluntary actions by industry, and access to finance. Members of these working groups include textile factories, leading global brands, industry associations like the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, BKMEA, civil society, and government agencies. Speaking on the occasion, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue Mustafizur Rahman said the textile sector has great potential for diversification, development, and contribution. ‘By regularising this effective exercise of dialogue exchange, the TSP can contribute to the sector by becoming the voice for driving sustainable practices and strategies,’ he added. The textile sector is crucial to the economic development of Bangladesh, contributing approximately 80 per cent of export earnings and employing over 4 million people. Executive director of PRI Ahsan H Mansur, BGMEA senior vice-president Faruque Hassan and PaCT programme manager Mohan Seneviratne, among others, spoke at the launching ceremony.
