RMG exports crossed $43 billion last fiscal year, which is around 81% of total exports
The Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley applauded the green transformation of the readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh.
He also said that the EU is proud of being the largest customer of Bangladeshi-made apparel items.
“We are proud to be the largest customer of Bangladesh’s readymade garments. We had a trade of around $19 billion last year,” he said.
He was visiting two of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED-certified garment factories – Mithela Textile Industries Limited and Fakir Fashions Limited – in Naryanganj on Saturday.
Regarding Mithela Textiles, he said that he has never seen a factory like this.
“The state-of-the-art automation, the attention to detail, the environmental friendliness, every aspect of the operation reflects care, thought and attention. It also reflects the care for the environment and workers,” he said.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organized the visit as part of its move to showcase the strength of the local garments industry.
Foreign diplomats and top officials from Germany, Brunei, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Russia, Thailand, Nepal and Australia and representatives from buyers accompanied the EU head of the delegation.
Foreign Ministry Senior Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers Exporters Association (BGMEA), industry people, business leaders and journalists were also present during the visit.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said that Bangladesh has 184 LEED-certified garment factories, the highest in the world and some 550 factories are in the pipeline of being LEED-certified.
“The purpose of this visit was to showcase the progress and development that Bangladesh has made during the last several years after the Rana Plaza collapse,” he said.
He expressed hope that it will be possible to meet the export target of the garment industry despite the global challenges.
According to sources, RMG exports crossed $43 billion last fiscal year, which is around 81% of total exports.
In the first six months of the current fiscal year, about $23 million in export earnings came from this sector.
