Int’l clothing brands pushes for innovation for sourcing RMG from Bangladesh, For the long-term sourcing of textile products from Bangladesh, international apparel stores and brands have placed an emphasis on innovation, efficiency development, and the use of synthetic raw materials. Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest provider of apparel behind China, therefore the nation has already made significant progress in the garment industry.
Int’l clothing brands pushes for innovation for sourcing RMG from Bangladesh
At a discussion on the “RMG Roadmap: Towards a Prosperous Future” held during the Made in Bangladesh Week at the International Convention City, Bashundhara (ICC-B) in Dhaka, retailers and brands stated that the time has come to make the achievement as sustainable as possible through innovation and bringing variation in products and quality of goods.
Bangladesh has to start producing synthetic raw materials, according to Anne-Laure Descours, chief sourcing officer of Puma, because the nation already excels at producing clothing made of cotton fiber. She added that because the nation leads the globe in green units, the construction of green garment factories will continue.
According to Inditex’s chief sustainability officer, Francisco Javier Losada Montero, Bangla-desh is already in a very strong position in terms of innovation. According to him, Bangladesh has to strengthen its online commerce and the strong partnerships between merchants and suppliers. In order to increase sustainability, Rita Lohani, director of operations for Walmart Sourcing Bangla-desh, recommended diversifying the products available and increasing the productivity of the textile industry.
“Next 10 years are important for the country’s garment sector as Bangla-desh has already come a lot in the garment trade,” she said. Winnie Estrup Petersen, ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh, said Denmark is supporting through International Labour Organisation in health and workplace safety. “Both Bangladesh and Denmark have been building partnerships for more business between the two countries,” she added.
Kutubuddin Ahmed, former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said for forming a committee involving the BGMEA for solving ongoing crises like energy. “Currently, the main problem in the sector is the energy crisis stemmed from the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.
Because, a study in 2020 showed that 67 percent customers wanted sustainable products and 20 percent of consumers wanted the brands to be proactive in those regards like transparency and traceability of products. Bangla-desh has already successfully attained the first phase in garment business as the country has the highest number of green garment factories and second largest exporter after China.
In another session titled “From Global to Local value chains – strategic alliance and collaborative capacity building for a diversified industry” focused on the important fact that Bangla-desh should focus on diversification both in terms of fiber and markets. Nasir Ezaz Bijoy, CEO, of Standard Chartered Bank Bangla-desh, highlighted how financial sector can assist in this journey of diversification.
Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status and preparation for ensuring a smoother transition was also highlighted in this session. “We need to improve our forecasting model and business risk management for the next 10 to 20 years,” said Md. Jashim Uddin president of the Federation of Bangla-desh Chambers of Commerce and Industry at another session. He said inter-industrial cooperation with potential business expansion and investments in jute, leather, Fast Moving Consumer Goods and automobiles aligning with the RMG to strengthen their capacity and international market outreach.
“Shed light how fashion is evolving and where should we focus on to adjust with the shifting circumstances,” said Ranjan Mahtani, chairman of Epic Group. State minister for foreign affairs M. Shahriar Alam claimed that some individuals have been funding lobbyists overseas in order to spread misinformation about Bangla-deshi clothing products and to get the country’s GSP status suspended.
In his opening remarks to the plenary session, he stressed that those individuals ought to be identified, educated, and, if necessary, their business relationships severed. The Made in Bangladesh Week was organized by the BGMEA and Bangladesh Apparel Expo.