Readymade garments exporters in Bangladeshi have urged international buyers to ensure sustainable prices for their products to develop a sustainable industry. Exporters have made the call at a session of the Dhaka Apparel Summit 2022 on Tuesday.
Former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Abdus Salam Murshedy MP said, “Buyers always talk about green products and sustainability. We have to keep in mind that big investments are needed to achieve these goals. So, the price of the product should be increased.”
“The price of each raw material required to manufacture our products has gone up, while the prices of our products are falling. This has created a challenge for us to survive. I request partners to increase the prices of our products so that the industry becomes sustainable,” said Salam Murshedy.
Another former president of BGMEA, Kutubuddin Ahmed said, “The export value of China’s apparel sector is over $240 billion, while our apparel exports earn over $42 billion. So our country has scope for further development in this sector. To do this, we need to focus on innovation.”
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, chief guest at the inaugural session, said, “Australia has given us a written commitment to grant duty-free access to their market till 2029. Besides, the European Union is a major apparel market. I will request retailers there to grant duty-free access to Bangladeshi products.
Prime Minister’s Office Chief Coordinator (SDG Affairs) Zuena Aziz said on the occasion, “We are emphasizing on manufacturing green products. We are building environment-friendly factories. We are careful not to harm the environment. The government is supporting businessmen in this regard.”
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said, “Garment exports crossed the $40 billion milestone in FY 22, which is about 82% of the country’s total exports. Strong growth in the RMG industry, which has helped Bangladesh achieve prosperity.”
Four sessions were took place at the summit, namely, “RMG Sector Roadmap: Towards a prosperous future”, “Logistics infrastructure to take Bangladesh to next level of economic growth”, “From global to local value chains – strategic alliance and collaborative capacity building for a diversified industry”, “Co-creating Sustainability – shared risks and rewards.”
