BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman Thursday urged the country’s intellectuals and experts to refrain from making any “early comments” on the minimum wages of readymade garment workers.”The intellectuals and experts should be careful about making any advance comments on fixing minimum monthly wages and let the government-formed Wage Board decide on the matter,” he said.He made the call while addressing an award-giving ceremony held at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the city.The BGMEA in collaboration with United States Green Building Certification (USGBC) and GBCI awarded some 13 USGBC LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum-ranked factories for their high performance in green industrialisation.A total of 67 local garment factories have achieved USGBC LEED certificates and additional 280 units are registered with the USGBC for certification.Forest and environment minister Anisul Islam Mahmud was present as the chief guest. Green Building Certification Inc (GBCI) managing director for Asia Pacific and Middle East Markets P Gopalakrishnan, BGMEA vice presidents Mohammed Nasir and SM Mannan Kochi were present at the event, among others.There are a quarter who are demanding Tk 16,000 or Tk 18,000 as minimum monthly wage of garment workers, which is not realistic, the BGMEA president said adding, “We will review the wage as much as we can. Don’t instigate the workers.”Workers are the most loyal and it is they who contributed the most in the country’s development, he said.”Don’t instigate them. Let the board fix the minimum wages considering the needs of the workers and the capacity of the industry.”In recent years, a silent revolution has taken place in the apparel industry in Bangladesh, Mr Rahman said, adding “The world’s highest-rated LEED Platinum denim factory, knit, washing plant and textile mills, all are located in Bangladesh.”Bangladesh is at the forefront of sustainable green industrialisation with the world’s several top green factories with the highest number of 67 USGBC LEED-certified readymade garment units, said Mr Gopalakrishnan.”Bangladesh is in the lead position in South Asia in setting up green RMG factories,” he said, adding out of 67, some 13 are platinum-ranked.Indonesia is in the second position with some 40 projects, followed by India with 30 and Sri Lanka with 10 to 15 projects, he added.In India, five such garment units are in operation while the rest are in the pipeline, he noted.USGBC developed LEED to recognise best practices in design, construction and operations of buildings and communities that protect the environment, human health and the bottom line. GBCI is the exclusive certifying body for all the LEED projects worldwide.The award-receiving local companies are Remi Holdings Ltd, Tarasima Apparels Ltd, Plummy Fashions Ltd, Vintage Denim Studio Ltd, Columbia Washing Plant Ltd, Echotex Ltd, SQ Celsius Unit 2 Ltd, Kaniz Fashions Ltd, Genesis Washing Ltd, Genesis Fashions Ltd, SQ Birichina Ltd, SQ Colblanc Ltd and Envoy Textiles Ltd.Fazlul Hoque, managing director of Plummy Fashions, the highest-ranked knitwear unit in the world, said though Bangladesh was a leader in green garment industrialisation, it is yet to establish the fact due to less publicity.There is a negative image of the country’s garment industry, he said, expressing hope that the new era of green industrialisation would help brand the image of the sector as well as the country.
