[🇧🇩] Textile & RMG Industry of Bangladesh

[Saif]

Collaborative approach needed for RMG sector growth: experts

Experts on Wednesday said that the country needed a collaborative approach from the government and the stakeholders of garments sector to utilise the huge potential of the sector.

www.newagebd.net

Collaborative approach needed for RMG sector growth: experts
Staff Correspondent 06 November, 2024, 22:27

Civil aviation and tourism ministry secretary Nasreen Jahan as chief guest inaugurates 23rd Bangladesh edition of the Textile Series of Exhibitions hosted by CEMS-Global USA at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre, Purbachal in Dhaka on Wednesday. Export Promotion Bureau vice-chairman and BGMEA administrator Md Anwar Hossain, BKMEA president Mohammad Hatem and CEMS Global USA and Asia-Pacific president and group managing director Meherun N Islam, among others, were present. | Press release photo

Experts on Wednesday said that the country needed a collaborative approach from the government and the stakeholders of garments sector to utilise the huge potential of the sector.

They made the remark at the inaugural session of the ‘Textile Series of Exhibitions’, organised by New York-based multinational exhibition and convention organiser CEMS-Global USA at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh edition of CEMS-Global’s Textile Series of Exhibitions features ‘23rd Textech Bangladesh 2024 Expo’ which offers opportunity for industry people to explore the latest innovations in textile production, garment machinery, and related technologies, ‘22nd Dhaka International Yarn and Fabric Show 2024’ which exhibits the collections of yarn, fabric, trims, and accessories, and ‘45th Dye+Chem Bangladesh 2024 International Expo’ which focuses on dyestuff, fine and specialty chemicals.

Export Promotion Bureau vice-president Md Anwar Hossain said, ‘Globally, the total turnover of apparel sector is about $2 trillion, whereas we export only about $40 billion. To utilise the prospects, we need investments as well as policy support from the government.’

Anwar, also the administrator of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said, ‘The most challenging thing in front of us is skilled human resources. We need a collaborative initiative on this aspect from the government, business owners and workers of the readymade garments sector.’

Meherun N Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS Global USA & Asia-Pacific, said that these exhibitions were the largest business-to-business meeting place held in Bangladesh for buyers and suppliers, where they could work through direct contact to expand business.

‘As these exhibitions are the largest gathering of foreign and domestic suppliers, buyers and sellers - Bangladeshi businesspeople do not have to go abroad to find buyers or face visa complications, saving money, labour and time,’ she said.

‘Besides, foreign buyers and sellers coming to the exhibition also add a different dimension to Bangladesh’s travel tourism,’ she added.

Nasreen Jahan, secretary of the civil aviation and tourism ministry, said that the government was working alongside the private sector in order to improve the tourism sector in the country.

‘This event is important in terms of unlocking the business prospects in the readymade garments sector, as well as the tourism sector of Bangladesh, as the exhibition brings people from all over the world to this country,’ she said.

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, among others, was present in the programme.​

 

[Saif]

Taiwan Textile Federation delegation meets BGMEA administrator to discuss trade, investment

A delegation from the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) met with BGMEA Administrator Anwar Hossain to discuss potential areas of collaboration for mutual trade benefits in the apparel and textile sectors. The delegation was led by Justin Huang, President of the Taiwan Textile Federation. The meetin

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Taiwan Textile Federation delegation meets BGMEA administrator to discuss trade, investment
FE ONLINE REPORT
Published :
Nov 09, 2024 21:18
Updated :
Nov 09, 2024 21:18

A delegation from the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) met with BGMEA Administrator Anwar Hossain to discuss potential areas of collaboration for mutual trade benefits in the apparel and textile sectors.

The delegation was led by Justin Huang, President of the Taiwan Textile Federation.

The meeting, held on Saturday (Nov 9) at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka, was also attended by representatives from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA).

The discussion covered various trade-related issues, including the current market situation of ready-made garments, global trends, challenges, opportunities, and more.

During the meeting, the potential for knowledge and skill sharing in areas such as technological adaptation, capacity building, innovation, resource efficiency, and circularity within the apparel and textile industries through cooperation was highlighted.

Both sides also discussed how they could collaborate to identify potential trade and investment areas and capitalise on opportunities in the textile and apparel sectors.

BGMEA Administrator Mohammad Anwar Hossain emphasised Bangladesh's increasing focus on boosting non-cotton and high-value garment production.

He mentioned that BGMEA is making every effort to facilitate sustainable growth in Bangladesh’s garment industry through the shift from cotton-based products to non-cotton items, particularly man-made fibre-based products.

In this regard, Taiwan could consider investments in non-cotton textiles, technical textiles, woven textiles, skill development, and innovation in Bangladesh.

He encouraged Taiwanese businesses to invest in these areas, either directly or through joint ventures.

Both sides expressed optimism about working together to achieve mutual benefits in the apparel and textile sectors.​

 

[Saif]

Decision on new wage for RMG workers by April

The decision on whether to formulate another minimum wage for garment workers after making adjustments in line with inflation will be made by April next year.

www.thedailystar.net

Decision on new wage for RMG workers by April
Labour ministry report says

The decision on whether to formulate another minimum wage for garment workers after making adjustments in line with inflation will be made by April next year.

A committee, headed by an additional secretary from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has already been formed to re-evaluate the minimum wage, it was informed yesterday during a meeting, which was to discuss the progress on the 18-point demands raised by workers in September this year.

The demands were agreed upon by both workers and factory owners following negotiations mediated by the interim government.

The meeting, chaired by Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, was held at the Secretariat.

The committee will submit recommendations on the feasibility and imperatives to review the minimum wage to the Ministry of Labour and Employment by April 2025.

The committee, which consists of three representatives each from labour and factory owners, has already held two meetings. The next one will be held on November 20.

Furthermore, over 99 percent of factories under the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) have implemented the previous minimum wage, as promised by the factory owners, according to a report from the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

In late November last year, the minimum wage board finalised Tk 12,500 as the minimum monthly salary for garment workers.

According to the report, at least 2,121 factories out of 2,140 had implemented the minimum wage by October this year, with the remaining 19 yet to comply.

The report further noted that out of the 2,140 factories, 2,123 have cleared workers' arrears for September, while 17 factories have not yet done so.

After the meeting, Asif Mahmud said implementing arrears is a complex issue as some factory owners have gone bankrupt. He added that those factory owners could not take money from banks as they were defaulters.

Furthermore, after the political changeover, the garment sector was rocked by labour unrest in September and October this year, which caused production losses of nearly $400 million.

"Only three months have passed since the interim government took office. The overall labour situation is improving. It was dire when we assumed office," he added.

Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said that the labour law will be amended by March next year to align with international standards.

"The labour law amendment will be carried out through an ordinance by March," he added.

The country pledged to amend the labour law at the 352nd session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body, held from October 28 to November 7 in Geneva.

A tripartite committee is currently working on possible amendments to the law, including easing trade union rules and documentation requirements.

Regarding service benefits, the progress report stated that benefits are being provided as per labour law.

The report also mentioned that Section 27 of the Labour Law and related sections will be amended.

Additionally, the responsibility for preparing a proposal to provide contributory provident funds to workers has been given to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, the report stated.

The report also mentioned that the Ministry of Labour and Employment has formed a committee to address the yearly increment.

It further stated that the Minimum Wage Evaluation Committee will submit a proposal regarding the capacity and imperatives of the yearly increment, considering current inflation and balancing it with labour law.

The committee is expected to submit its report by November 30.

The rationing system for workers through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh is currently in process, the report noted.

Regarding the blacklisting of some workers, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has formed a technical team that will submit a report reviewing the overall situation, which is now under process.

The committee has instructed labour leaders to collect forms and submit them to the Ministry of Labour and Employment after completing them in relation to the withdrawal of cases filed against workers during the minimum wage movement in 2023.

Once submitted, the ministry will forward them to the district magistrates, the report said.

The report further said that over 80.55 percent of factories have set up daycares and the BGMEA is monitoring the remaining factories to ensure they set up daycares as well.

The Minimum Wage Board, a government regulatory agency responsible for recommending changes to the minimum wage, has also submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to amend the labour law and update its provisions.

The board has suggested that the ministry amend the labour law to ensure stricter enforcement of wage structures in factories, according to the proposal.

Amending the labour law has been a long overdue issue in Bangladesh.

Last December, the president returned the "Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill-2023" unsigned, citing the need for further amendments to certain key clauses.

In response to the Rana Plaza building collapse and subsequent international pressure, the government amended the 2006 labour law in August 2013 to ensure workplace safety and labour rights issues meet international standards.

In September 2015, the government formulated labour rules to guide the proper application of labour law at factories.

The law was further amended in 2018, again under international pressure, to lower the worker threshold for union formation from 30 percent to 20 percent.​

 

[Saif]

Jhut sector must be formalised to prevent chaos: experts

Experts on Tuesday stressed the need for a textile waste (jhut) management policy in Bangladesh, saying that its informal nature of the sector fuelled political-economic tensions and...

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Jhut sector must be formalised to prevent chaos: experts
Staff Correspondent 12 November, 2024, 23:16

Commerce ministry additional secretary Abdur Rahim Khan, deputy head of EU delegation to Bangladesh Bernd Spanier, chief technical adviser on circular economy in global value chain at UNIDO Mark Draeck, BGMEA support committee member Rezwan Selim and Desh Group deputy managing director Vidiya Amrit Khan, among others, are present at an event at the Hotel InterContinental in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday. | Press release photo

Experts on Tuesday stressed the need for a textile waste (jhut) management policy in Bangladesh, saying that its informal nature of the sector fuelled political-economic tensions and labour unrests in the country’s readymade garment sector.

At an event titled ‘Switch to upstream circularity roundtable: path towards circularity in Bangladesh’s RMG industry’ at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka, they also said that an enabling policy framework was essential to drive the transition, as it could create millions of jobs in the recycling industry and reduce Bangladesh’s reliance on imports.

The event was organised under the SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains project, co-funded by the European Union and the Finland government.

It was led by UNIDO in collaboration with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Global Fashion Agenda, BESTSELLER, Reverse Resources, Chatham House, Circle Economy and the European Investment Bank.

‘The industrial textile waste market in Bangladesh remains largely informal, which has a significant political-economic impact on the sector, as seen during the recent labour unrests in the RMG sector at Ashula and the other parts of Dhaka,’ said Bernd Spanier, deputy head of the EU delegation to Bangladesh.

He said that formalising the sector was crucial, as a clear regulatory framework and enabling conditions would attract innovative recycling technologies and expertise.

The diplomat also said that the transition towards circularity could create millions of jobs in the recycling industry and reduce Bangladesh’s reliance on imports.

‘We believe that the next five years will be crucial for Bangladesh’s garment industry. Under the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles the EU is introducing significant initiatives in this region,’ he said.

Spanier said that garment-producing countries must transition from a linear to a circular production model to ensure that, by 2030 — which is not far away — textiles in the EU market are largely made of recycled fibres, free of harmful substances and produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Citing a recent GIZ study, he said that Bangladesh’s lack of supportive policies had contributed to shifting preferences towards countries like Vietnam and Indonesia as destinations for recycling industries.

‘We aim to retain the recycling industries in Bangladesh, but a post-industrial regulatory framework is essential, as current frameworks, such as the national environmental policy, solid waste management rules, and Bangladesh Labour Act, are not yet aligned with emerging EU and international standards for circularity in textile manufacturing and waste management,’ Spanier added.

Commerce ministry additional secretary Abdur Rahim Khan said that in Bangladesh, jhut business was not an economic issue now, but it turned into a law and order issue.

‘As you know, we face unrests within our RMG sector, and some of my colleagues suggest that jhut business is contributing to this instability,’ he said.

Rahim Khan emphasised the need to establish a policy for jhut waste management, saying that it would not only support the transition to circularity, but also help address the unrests currently affecting the RMG sector.

Now it is time for Bangladesh to have a proper coordination between three stakeholders — manufacturers, waste management companies and global brands.

If these stakeholders work together, transformation is likely to occur; otherwise, despite discussions and dialogues, real change may not take place, Rahim Khan observed.

Chief technical adviser on circular economy in global value chain from UNIDO Mark Draeck said that in the textile industry, especially regarding circularity, things were more complex, which was why progress had not been straightforward.

He highlighted two concrete pilot projects they are working on, closely collaborating with both brands and manufacturing companies to address challenges at the technology, logistics, economics and traceability levels.

However, to scale these initial experiences across the industry, more systemic challenges, including policy, capacity building, access to finance and the necessary investments for this shift must be addressed, Draeck observed.

BGMEA support committee member Rezwan Selim, Desh Group deputy managing director Vidiya Amrit Khan and global Fashon Agenda stakeholder consultant Shamiul Hoque, among others, spoke at the event.​

 

[Saif]

Towards a zero-waste textile sector

Given the highly pollutant nature of the textile and fashion industry, the Western importers of textile products from developing nations including Bangladesh want to see that waste generated by the industry is managed efficiently and sustainably. In the textile industry, which is dominated by

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Towards a zero-waste textile sector
Published :
Nov 15, 2024 21:24
Updated :
Nov 15, 2024 21:24

Given the highly pollutant nature of the textile and fashion industry, the Western importers of textile products from developing nations including Bangladesh want to see that waste generated by the industry is managed efficiently and sustainably. In the textile industry, which is dominated by the Readymade Garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh, in addition to the chemicals or various solid wastes generated during manufacturing process, pieces of cloths or textiles from which garment articles are produced also become waste called garment waste. The informal business involving textile or garment waste, or jhut in Bangla, is a major socio-political issue here as it has given rise to violent turf wars among jhut traders. So, proper management of textile waste is more than being environmentally conscious. As the garment waste or jhut is behind eruption of occasional violence and labour unrest, addressing the issue urgently and efficiently has now become a priority before the government and the industry operators. Against this backdrop, a roundtable titled, 'Switch to Upstream Circularity: Path Towards Circularity in Bangladesh's RMG Industry' was recently organised in the city where the industry people, government leaders, international development partners as well as brand representatives participated. As it emerged from the discussion event in question, it is the informal nature of the textile waste market here that lies at the heart of the prevailing crisis in the sector. The answer to it is going circular which is about reducing waste, reusing and recycling it thereby converting the waste into more useful value-added items (upcycling).

Hence, experts on the issue suggest that by adopting an appropriate policy, the garment waste that is now presenting itself as a nuisance can revolutionise the entire outlook of the industry by not only reducing the sector's dependence on import of raw materials but also creating a large number of new jobs through establishing recycling industries. That is also important for stimulating the export of garment products for the simple reason that modern environment-conscious consumers in the West appreciate value-added upcycled textile products. But the only way of transitioning to the next phase of the industry where there is no concept of waste, Bangladesh should introduce the needed technology and expertise in the textile sector. Until that is done, Bangladesh's textile or apparel sector will lag behind its regional and international competitors and helplessly watch the shift of the technology and expertise to the Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia.

However, the main roadblock to this path of progress is the existing regulatory framework which is unhelpful to formalising the textile waste or jhut market. Of necessity, the new regulatory framework will have to be a post-industrial one that will revamp, for example, the present national environmental policy, solid waste management rules, Bangladesh Labour Act, etc., in order that they are in line with the emerging international, particularly the EU standards for circularity in textile manufacturing and waste management. Some international experts held that the next five years (till 2030) will be crucial for Bangladesh's apparel industry since by then it will be required to meet the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular textiles. The EU market, which is an important destination of the country's apparel exports, will look for textile products that are recycled fibres, free from harmful substances and produced in an environmentally as well as socially responsible manner.

In that case, the primary task before the government now is to come up with a clear regulatory framework that would formalise the textile waste sector and thus create the desired enabling conditions for it to attract the necessary knowhow and innovative recycling technologies.​