The knowledge-sharing event on the sustainability issues of apparel sector in Bangladesh is going to be held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) on May 17.Titled ‘Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF)’, Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) is organising the programme, first of its kind, along with its flagship event ‘Bangladesh Denim Expo’ which will also be held at the same venue on May 17-18.Adviser to the Prime Minister on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed are expected to inaugurate the Sustainable Apparel Forum at 10:00am on May 17. ‘Making Sustainability Easier’ has been set as the theme of the forum which consists of an opening session and four knowledge sessions.The sessions are Saving Water, Resources and Cost- The ‘Must Knows’ for our Factories; Energy Efficiency – How to Optimise Energy Consumption & Reduce Cost; Green Factories and Sustainable Financing, according to the event organisers.The objectives of the sessions are to facilitate meaningful exchange of knowledge to make sustainability easier to be exercised by factories and individuals. Founder Chairman of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and also Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo Mostafiz Uddin said, “The industry has already made commendable strides in the area of sustainability. Presence of already 67 LEED certified green garment factories in the country, while 222 more are in the offing, is the telltale evidence of the sector’s steady move towards sustainability.”“The Sustainable Apparel Forum wants to accelerate the momentum within the industry through education, awareness and reducing knowledge gap,” he added.Globally renowned experts from home and abroad will speak on apparel sustainability issues in the aforesaid sessions based on the needs of business and customers’ expectations and provide hands-on training, pragmatic knowledge and professional skills through specialised workshops.The audiences will also get the opportunity to ask the speakers the most frequently raised queries at plant level.Md Mohiuddin Rubel, managing director of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange, said, “The sessions have been devised in a way to discuss practical aspects of the daily operation at factories, rather than general discussions, to take Bangladesh a step forward as a responsible sourcing destination in the global map.”The ‘In Collaboration With’ partners of the Sustainable Apparel Forum 2017 are the German embassy, French embassy, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Dansk Fashion and Textile — the trade association for Danish textile and clothing companies, GIZ Bangladesh, Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) of International Finance Corporation (IFC), Energy Efficiency Engagement (3e) programme of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh (NCCI), KFW DEG of Germany, and MDF Training & Consultancy. HSBC Bank is the title sponsor.
