Global bank HSBC Export Excellence Awards recognizes five exporters of Bangladesh as 'Exporter of the Year' in their respective categories for their outstanding contribution to Bangladesh's steadily growing economy as well as promoting the country in the international arena. Among five winners of 6th version of the award DBL Group, Ha-Meem Denim and Epic Garments were from textile and garment export fraternity.
AMA Muhith, finance minister; Tofail Ahmed, commerce minister; and Natalie Blyth, HSBC's head of global trade and receivables finance, handed over the HSBC Export Excellence Awards to the winners at a ceremony at Radisson Hotel in Dhaka on 3rd December 2016.
Figure: From DBL Group, M.A. Rahim, Vice Chairman, received the award from the hands of the Chief Guest of the ceremony, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, MP, Finance Minister, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
DBL Group, a fast-growing apparel maker, got the award for the fourth time in the category of textile and garment companies with annual export earnings of $50 million or more. It is a diversified business entity, which has vertically integrated textile and apparel manufacturing facilities, with concerns in ICT & Telecommunications and Ceramic Tiles. DBL Group started business in 1991 and till date it has resulted in a conglomerate of 18 concerns. The Group is currently in process of investing into Pharmaceuticals and Light Engineering sectors. Its products are exported to more than 47 countries, including Germany, Sweden, Spain, the UK, Canada, the USA, Japan, Brazil, India and China. Its customers include retail giants H& M, Wal-Mart, Esprit, Puma, G-Star and Decathlon.
Ha-Meem Denim Ltd, a one-stop solution provider for leading apparel brands around the world, became the exporter of the year in the textile and garment category for annual export turnover of less than $50 million. With GAP, H& M, Next, Tesco, Wal-Mart, VF, American Eagle and Kohl's as some of its customers, the company is the biggest denim producer in Bangladesh.
Epic Garments Manufacturing Company was awarded in the category of enterprises in the export processing zones. Established in 1971, Epic has successfully transitioned from being a buying agent to today being a large multinational company with world class manufacturing facilities in Asia employing over 20,000 people.
Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, won the award in the category of exporters in traditional and emerging sectors with annual export turnover of $5 million or more. From the inception in 1958, it has today burgeoned into one of the top line conglomerates in Bangladesh. It is the flagship company, holding the strong leadership position in the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh since 1985 and is now on its way to becoming a high performance global player. It pioneered the export of medicines from Bangladesh in 1987 and now ships antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products to 39 countries.
TradeXcel Graphics Ltd, a graphic design company working for renowned global brands, won the HSBC award in the small and medium enterprises category. The company expanded 88 percent in the last three years. Set up in 2006, it serves newspapers, magazines, ad agencies, printing and publishing companies around the world, with services such as clipping path, photoshop masking, drop shadow, retouching and other image editing services.
AMA Muhith said the government that came to power in 2009, highlighting on export-led growth. “It has been proved that our choice was right. We have done quite well,” he said, adding that exports rose to $34 billion last fiscal year from $14 billion in 2009.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said products and markets will be diversified if the government's seventh five-year plan is implemented by 2021.
Addressing the award winners, Natalie Blyth said, “You are leading the businesses that make a positive contribution not only to the country's economy today, but which are helping shape its future in world trade.”
While garment accounts for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh's exports, the future is not just in clothing for the country. There are some other sectors that are set to grow at a double digit pace from 2016-2020, she added.
A jury board led by former Bangladesh Bank governor Mohammed Farashuddin picked the award winners. The jury board included Rokia Afzal Rahman, former caretaker government adviser; Latifur Rahman, chairman of Transcom Group; Aftab Ul Islam, a former chairman of SME Foundation; and Ferhat Anwar, a professor of Institute of Business Administration.
They looked at financial performance, business diversification, compliance, contribution to the economy and attainments and recognition in picking this year's winners.
On the eve of the awards ceremony marking the HSBC initiative outstanding, jury board member Latifur Rahman, who won the Oslo Business for Peace Award, said, in order to succeed, businesses must stick to some basic values and not cut corners.
HSBC Bangladesh commenced the first ever HSBC Export Excellence Awards (EEA) in February 2010 to reinforce HSBC's commitment to Bangladeshi businesses in international trade and recognize the exporters' contribution. This has been recognized as a unique Awards platform in Bangladesh Business Community, whereby Bangladeshi exporters, contributing to the strong flow of remittance to the economy and promoting the proud ‘Made in Bangladesh' brand across the world, are recognized and awarded for their efforts.
To get excellence in export, one needs adopting the best business practices, ensuring a happy workforce and improving the livelihood of everyone involved in the product's journey from home to abroad.
