Fakir Apparels, a prominent player in the apparel industry, won the ISPO Award  2023 for the Calor Jacket, an innovative women's piece. Through this, the apparel manufacturer from Bangladesh has been recognized as the first Bangladeshi manufacturer to be honoured with the International Society for Professional Apparel and Textile Industry (ISPO) Award. The ISPO bestowed this prestigious award upon Fakir Apparels, recognizing their commitment to performance, sustainability, and innovation in outdoor apparel, said a press release. This accolade marks Fakir Apparels as the first Bangladeshi manufacturer to receive the esteemed ISPO Award Winner title. Read: Expatriate Awards launched at Bangladesh High Commission in Australia In dispelling the notion that high-end technical wear manufacturing is exclusive to the Far East, Fakir Apparels reflects the broader trend in Bangladesh. The country's manufacturers are making significant strides in this market, tapping into a wealth of young talent, seasoned expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit. Fakir Apparels, traditionally known for cotton-based garments, shifted a substantial portion of its products to synthetic and synthetic blends while maintaining its client base. In 2018, they launched a specialized technical wear manufacturing facility, marking five years of success in the sportswear industry. Read: Islami Bank bags Mastercard Excellence Award 2023 Fakir Nafizuzzaman, Deputy Managing Director of Fakir Apparels Ltd., emphasizes the company's commitment to sustainability through bold actions like the Calor Jacket. This revolutionary piece not only integrates cutting-edge technology and a circular philosophy but also reduces garment waste by an impressive 97 percent. Acknowledging the broader industry shift, he said the myth that high-end technical wear manufacturing capabilities are exclusive to Far East manufacturers no longer exists. Local manufacturers, including Fakir Apparels, are steering this shift from traditional cotton-based garments to synthetic fiber-made high-end technical wear, marking a game-changing moment for Bangladesh's RMG industry. Read: Prof M Harunur Rashid receives Abu Rushd Literary Award Fakir Apparels' journey signifies a pivotal moment in the industry, showcasing Bangladesh's prowess in technical wear manufacturing and its commitment to a sustainable future. He also said its innovative design and R&D wing has been actively engaged in introducing sustainable changes to the fashion and sportswear industry.   

International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB) organised a day-long workshop titled ‘Settlement of Documentary Credit Disputes through ADR: Review of ICC Arbitration & DOCDEX Cases’ on Saturday.  Ninety-six participants from 25 Banks including four from BIBM and other officials attended the Workshop, according to a press release. ICC Bangladesh Vice President and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Naser Ezaz Bijoy inaugurated the Workshop. ICCB Secretary General Ataur Rahman and Workshop Resource Person KM Lutfor Rahman also addressed the inaugural session. 

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has announced its support for the Simon Project, a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the Simon Institute based in London, UK. The Simon Project, jointly funded by Associated British Foods and the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), aims to obtain recurrent data to calculate the ratio of non-fatal accidents in Bangladesh. The launching of the Simon Project was held at BGMEA Complex in Dhaka recently in the presence of Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA, and Javier Chercoles PhD, Director of Simon Institute, BGMEA said on Sunday. From BGMEA, Senior Vice President S. M. Mannan (Kochi), Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Directors Faisal Samad, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Navidul Huq and Rajiv Chowdhury were also present. The Simon Project will implement an innovation site at BGMEA headquarters in Dhaka and IT tools in 9 BGMEA medical centres. This collaborative effort will engage both international and local forensic teams, including the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and Dhaka Medical College respectively to train paramedics and doctors to collect critical health incidence data for minor injuries, health issues and Covid incidence. This data will be essential to calculate the provision of insurance for all RMG workers which can be funded by private insurance companies and/or the public sector as well as calculating financial contribution from factories and international brands. Since 2022, the Simon Project has already begun collecting data from 50 factories and has collected health incidence data for over 200,000 workers. Expansion of the project into the 9 medical centres of the BGMEA will allow for data collection of all more RMG workers in Bangladesh. The Simon Project is complementary to the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS), supported by ILO and GIZ. The Simon Project is collecting everyday-worker health issue data of which more than 5 million data sets are expected in one year. Both schemes are closely aligned with the BGMEA goal to provide social protection for all RMG workers in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has strengthened its position as the global leader in 'green' i.e. environmentally-friendly apparel factories, with 204 factories in the sector now boasting United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification (certificate for green factories).  One more Bangladeshi garment factory ttained green building certification from the USGBC in the gold category in December, according to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). The green certified factory is ‘Integra Dresses Limited’ of Gazipur with 99 out of 110 points. Bangladesh achieved 27 green building certifications in 2022, including 13 in platinum category which is the highest in a year.  Of the total 204 green certified factories, 74 are platinum-rated, 116 gold-rated and the rest are other-rated. 500 more factories are in the pipeline get the USGBC’s LEED certification. Fifty-four out of globally top 100 highest-rated LEED green factories are in Bangladesh. Not only that, 9 out of globally top 10, and 18 out of globally top 20 LEED certified factories are in Bangladesh. And it’s truly a matter of pride that the highest scoring factory in the world is in Bangladesh with a score of 104. USGBC honours factories based on several criteria – transformation performance, energy, water, and waste management. The best performers are rated with platinum, followed by gold and silver.

The Responsible Business Hub (RBH), established by BGMEA with GIZ support, conducted two impactful training sessions titled "Training on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence." The sessions, aimed at onboarding 25 factories, engaging 44 participants, to enhance their understanding of compliance with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, specifically focusing on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD), held at BGMEA Complex. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan handed over certificates to the participants who have completed the sessions. BGMEA Senior Vice President S. M. Mannan (Kochi), Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Directors Faisal Samad, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Navidul Huq, and Rajiv Chowdhury and Chair of BGMEA Standing Comm on Trade Fair Mohammad Kamal Uddin were also present at the certificate handover ceremony on Thursday.   The training, led by RBH, focused on capacity building for compliance, environment, and sustainability managers from diverse factories. These sessions equipped participants with valuable insights into terminologies and processes related to human rights and environmental due diligence. The trained factory managers are now capable of assessing risks within their operations and supply chains. This initiative is expected to assist factories in establishing responsible policies, contributing to a more sustainable and ethical approach in Bangladesh's RMG sector.

The Assent Access Control device of the country’s leading tech product manufacturer Walton is being used on various branches of the state-owned Sonali Bank. Walton is installing a total of 1155 Access Control devices in 1080 branches of Sonali Bank across the country, said a press release. The Walton access control devices, which are marketed in ASSENT brand packaging, are being used to ensure hassle-free office attendance and also make the HR-related activities of the bank more accurate and swifter. Read: Islami Bank bags Mastercard Excellence Award 2023 An agreement between Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited and Sonali Bank was inked in this regard last August. According to the agreement, Walton is providing and installing access control devices in various branches of Sonali Bank across the country. Technology products of Walton including access control devices are being used in various government and private organizations of the country which helps in saving foreign currencies along with contributing to employment growth and the development of the domestic technology manufacturing industry. At present, 4 models of Assent access control devices are available in the market. Of which, the WAC11 model is priced at Tk 6,715, WAC22 model Tk 11,007 and the WAC33 model is available at Tk 12,282. Walton has also launched another new model WAC34 in the market. Read: Al-Arafah Bank sponsors six students for Thailand Science Olympiad The Walton Assent access control devices are designed with all the latest features including fingerprint, card punch and password. Device respond is less than 0.5 seconds and has the storage capacity for 3,000 users and 70,000 records. These access control devices have the facility to integrate HRMS software, payroll, attendance reports etc. The devices are featured with exit button, door magnet, reader interface, and Wigand input. Walton access control device is designed with an API system for integration with any other HRMS or ERP software. In addition, these devices can be used in parallel with the access control devices already in use in any organization.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladesh recently organised a seminar on “Private Sector Contribution to the SDGs” in Dhaka. The event brought together 24 Japanese companies, eight Bangladeshi financial institutions/investors, and eight local startups in a quest to forge impactful partnerships driving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their business in Bangladesh, according to a press release. Bangladeshi startups, Light of Hope, Moner Bondhu, Women in Digital, Bioforge, Drishti, Wreetu, Wander Women, and Leatherina, showcased their SDG contributions on crucial areas like education, healthcare, environment, and women's empowerment. JICA introduced these visionaries to Japanese companies and Bangladeshi financial institutions, fostering potential collaborations for future sustainable ventures, it said. Five Japanese companies also presented their activities related to the social development and achievement of SDGs in Bangladesh. Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of JICA Bangladesh office shared that JICA acknowledges the importance of nurturing local business entities that can balance profit and SDGs achievement for the consistent economic advancement of Bangladesh and JICA is actively involved in fostering the development of future businesses in Bangladesh with initiatives such as JICA's accelerator program, known as JICA Ninja (Next Innovation with Japan) held in 2021 and the ongoing Product Market Fit (PMF) trial, said the release. Farhad Reza, CEO of National Advisory Board for Impact Investment in Bangladesh streteched the role of impact investment to achieve SDGs. This seminar, a cornerstone of JICA's SDGs Business Support Programme, signified a pivotal stride in fostering dynamic Japanese-Bangladeshi collaborations. It not only serves as a platform for innovative partnerships but also champions sustainable initiatives, driving the shared vision of advancing the SDG agenda in Bangladesh and beyond, it added.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) in Bangladesh has recently entered into a partnership with BRAC. The signing ceremony, held at BRAC Centre in Dhaka recently, marks a significant step towards digitising BRAC's collection and disbursement processes for greater efficiency, according to a press release. Gerard Haughey, country head of Wholesale Banking at HSBC Bangladesh, and Arinjoy Dhar, senior director of Microfinance signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. Leveraging HSBC's cutting-edge solutions, BRAC aims to streamline the retrieval of loan payments on a substantial scale. Through direct fund pull instructions via HSBC’s corporate online solution, individual requests for repayments are eliminated. Simultaneously, BRAC can efficiently disburse loans in bulk to borrowers through HSBC’s online and Host-to-Host connectivity solutions, the release said. "Digital transformation is critical to revolutionize the way we empower our clients digitally and to drive financial inclusion. Advancing digital inclusion amongst our clients will enable them to move from a cash-economy to a digital economy. BRAC has always been an early adopter of innovative solutions to improve access to financial services for low-income and unbanked populations.Ensuring convenience for the clients has always been our top priority,” said Arinjoy Dhar. “This solution will benefit our clients with a seamless transaction experience and will enable them to spend more time in income generating activities. The successful implementation of this project will mark a significant milestone in our efforts to empower communities to access financial services through digital solutions,” he added. “HSBC has continued to invest in innovative cash management solutions across its international network, ensuring a robust and secured digital banking platform for its clients. We are confident that this solution will assist BRAC to achieve their short term and long term goals more efficiently and facilitate their digitalisation journey. Similarly, this HSBC proposition will pave the way for digitalisation for the microfinance industry of Bangladesh,” said Gerard Haughey.

Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC has earned the “Excellence in Mastercard Prepaid Business (Domestic) Award 2022-2023” at the Mastercard Excellence Award 2023. Abul Faiz Muhammad Kamaluddin, Deputy Managing Director of the Bank received the award from Atiur Rahman, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank in a function held at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden Hotel recently, said a press release. Read: BGMEA provides financial support to family of deceased garment worker Helen LaFave, Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy, Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager, Mastercard Bangladesh, Md. Sharafat Ullah Kahan, director of Payment Systems Department at Bangladesh Bank, Nazim Uddin Talukdar; Mohammad Manzurul Haque, senior vice presidents, Md. Osman Gani Vice-president A.N.M. Tawhidul Islam, and Assistant vice presidents of Islami Bank were present, among others on the occasion, reads the release.      

Kamran Tanvirur Rahman has been elected as the president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) for the year 2024. The members of the Board of Directors unanimously elected him at the first meeting of the new Board held November 19, which was confirmed at the 119th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the MCCI held on Thursday, according to a press release. Kamran is the chairman and Managing Director of Kapna Tea Company Limited and Pubali Jute Mills Limited. He is also the chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association (BTA) for 2023-2025. Kamran is an Independent director of Advanced Chemical Industries Limited (ACI) and its subsidiary companies. Mr. Rahman was the Senior Vice-President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) in 2022 and 2023. He was also the Vice-President of MCCI in 2013. He was the President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) in 2007-2009 and 2017-2021. Kamran Rahman was a member (Employers’ Group) of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland for the terms, 2009-2012, 2012-2014 and 2014-2017. Habibullah N Karim was elected as the new senior vice-President of the MCCI for the year 2024, the release said. Karim is the MD and CEO of Technohaven Company Limited. He was also the president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) in 2008-2009 and 2002-2003. He was the vice-President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation in 2019-2021. He is also the immediate past Chairman of the International Blockchain Olympiad as well as the Co-founder and Coordinator of Blockchain Olympiad Bangladesh, it added. Simeen Rahman was elected as the new MCCI vice president for the year 2024. Simeen is the Group CEO of Transcom Limited. She is a board member of all companies under Transcom Group and presides over them with operational and management control. Transcom Limited is also a stakeholder in Mediaworld Limited (Publishers of the country’s leading English language newspaper - The Daily Star), Reliance Insurance Limited, National Housing Finance PLC, IDLC Finance Limited and Pubali Bank PLC, the release also said. Simeen Rahman is also the MD and CEO of certain Transcom subsidiaries including the Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Transcom Beverages Ltd. (Exclusive franchise of PepsiCo Beverages).