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Tracking progression of BD’s garment sector

The story of growth of the garment sector and the textile sector supporting it are well known.  By 1985, industrial development in Bangladesh had made very little progress and the focus on import substitution as the basis for development of manufacturing growth had failed. The basis for a shift to export-led growth was rejected by the government planners believing that it was impossible to expect Bangladesh to become competitive in the international markets. This pessimistic view was deeply rooted [...]

A louder call for upping access to gas, port

Uninterrupted gas supply, improved port performance and long-term policy support, including tax measures, are the crying need, as the country’s primary textile sector looks to retain its competitive edge and keep going in future also, says Tapan Chowdhury, the chief of a platform of local textile mill owners. “We are struggling to be price-competitive,” says the president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) in view of the drawbacks mentioned above. He was talking to the FE in an interview. Bangladesh is [...]

Diversifying market for sustainable growth

The readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh tells us an impressive story of the country’s  successful transition towards an export-oriented economy. From an almost unknown entity in the early 1980s, the RMG sector has become a major player in export earnings and has strengthened its base in the country’s export structure over the course of time. RMG export demonstrated considerable growth from a meager US$ 31 million in 1983 to an impressive figure of over US$ 28.09 billion by [...]

Necessity of higher study in garment business management

Manufacturing industries are on the move westward from the Far-East. China has reached its pinnacle of growth. Apparel buyers of the world are forced to pursue the ‘China Plus One’ policy for sourcing. Bangladesh has already become the second largest exporter of apparels, but it is still behind China by a big margin. The textile industries of Bangladesh are adamant to reduce this gap. With the help of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) the textile industries are planning to increase [...]

Trade Union – of the workers, by the workers, for the workers

Whoever talks about representative democracy cannot avoid the great saying by former US President Abraham Lincoln. In his famous Gettysburg Address on 19 November 1863, he stated that “Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth”. Similarly, whenever we think of representative trade unions, one can say: “Trade Union – of the workers, by the workers, for the workers”. A trade union is an institution which needs to be constituted of the [...]

Urmi Garments: A story of riding the waves

The apparel industry of Bangladesh started its journey in early 80s. Since its inception, different sources of impetus have contributed to the development and maturity of the industry at various stages. Child labour issue in 1994, phase-out of Multi-Fibre Arrangement in 2005, and Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 define the industry’s hard times. The industry, with the support of the government of Bangladesh, global brands and international development partners, lived up to these challenges and achieved overall improvement during [...]

The govt stake in development of RMG, textile sector

The government of Bangladesh, immediately after the Tazreen fire incident and the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza, took various steps towards improving overall workplace safety in the ready-made garment (RMG) and textile sector as well as making commitments to the international community, which include adoption of a National Tripartite Plan of Action by the constituents, implementation of the Sustainability Compact, and the US Action Plan focussing on legislation and policy reform, administration and practical actions. Here is a brief summary [...]

Gerber Technology in RMG, textile advancement

Gerber Technology has been helping companies around the world for nearly half a century to develop, manufacture and take their products to the market smarter, faster and more efficiently. Today, the company provides integrated software and hardware solutions to more than 78,000 customers of the apparel & fashion, furniture, transportation, technical textiles, aerospace, construction, packaging, wind energy, and sign and graphics industries with over 100 ‘Fortune 500’ companies in 130 countries. Drawing on a rich history of innovation, Gerber Technology’s leading-edge [...]

Challenges of making it grow and work