Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has promised to work closely with the BGMEA to help expand and develop the readymade garment industry in the districts. President of the CCCI Mahbubul Alam made his association’s pledge to the garment factories so that the sector in Chittagong can play its due role in achieving the US$50 billion export target by 2021. He said this when a team of the newly-elected members of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association led by its first vice president Moinuddin Ahmed (Mintu) met the CCCI directors at the CCCI’s World Trade Centre office in the city on Monday. The CCCI president emphasised the need for immediate solution to the existing problems like scarcity of land in the city area, gas and electricity, crunch high bank interest rate sick garment factories and lack of adequate infrastructure being faced by the garment factories in Chittagong. Mr Alam, leader of both the CCCI and FBCCI, assured the BGMEA leaders that the CCCI and FBCCI (Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry) would work hand-in-hand to ameliorate problems of the garment sector. He stated that the garments of Chittagong contributed 40 per cent to the sector in the recent past but it has come down to single digit (9.0 per cent) as the local industries are facing manifold problems the compliance issues. “Only planned set up of garment villages in the city and its outskirts and regular supply of electricity and gas can save the industry from the present crisis,” he said. He informed that BGMEA leaders that the Civil Aviation minister has recently agreed to extend the runways of Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport to 800 meters in breadth so that large aircraft can land and take off easily. BGMEA first vice president Moinuddin Ahmed (Mintu) said the RMG sector in Chittagong faces threat of extinction due to manifold problems including disunity of the factory owners. “As many as 316 factories out of 716 have already been closed. Many of the remaining 400 factories are feared to be closed,” he said. “If a specialised economic zone on at least 200 acres of land is provided for existence of the garment factories the target to achieve the $ 50 billion Dollar worth export is only possible,” he said and sought cooperation of the buyers’ compliance agencies like Accord and Alliance in this regard. CCCI directors Mazharul Islam Chowdhury, AKM Akhtar Hossain, Ohid Siraj Swapan, Habibul Hoque, Sarwar Jahan Jamil and Anjan Shekoar Das, BGMEA directors Md Saif Ullah, ANM Saifuddin, Kazi Mahbub Uddin Jewel and members including Shawkat Osman, Khondakar Belayet Hossain and MA Hannan were present on the occasion.
