A high-level delegation from the Netherlands government paid a visit to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and met with its President S. M. Mannan (Kochi) in Dhaka on Sunday.
The key objective of the meeting was to explore collaborative opportunities for propelling sustainable development of Bangladesh’s RMG industry, said a press release.
The delegation comprised of Sara van Hoeve, First Secretary of Economic Affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands to Bangladesh Lischelle Fisser, Desk officer for Bangladesh in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Nadia van de Weem, Private Sector Development officer, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Tanzila Tajreen, Senior Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh.
The meeting, coordinated by BGMEA Vice President Abdullah Hil Rakib and actively participated by Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Shovon Islam, Md. Ashikur Rahman (Tuhin) and Shams Mahmud, delved into different issues pertinent to the ready-made garment industry of Bangladesh.
The meeting primarily focused on identifying potential collaboration areas, particularly environmental sustainability initiatives such as circular fashion, recycling, and energy efficiency within the RMG sector.
Discussions also revolved around facilitating knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and access to finance, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to support the sector in becoming more energy and resource efficient, recycling and other environmental areas.
The BGMEA leaders provided an overview of the RMG industry, highlighting its current priorities and efforts towards ensuring a sustainable future.
They elaborated on industry initiatives including technology upgradation, innovation, digitization, and product diversification to remain competitive in the face of changing global market dynamics.
BGMEA thanked the Netherlands government for its support, particularly through initiatives like the Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program, which has aided participating factories in reducing their water footprint.
The importance of such initiatives was underscored to further enhance sustainability and competitiveness within Bangladesh’s RMG industry.