Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan on Monday said lack of enhanced productivity is one of the major impediments for the sustenance of the industry.

“Every year our cost of production is increasing, minimum wage has also been revised several times but we have somehow not been able to enhance our productivity which is one of the major impediments for the sustenance of the industry," he said.

Against this backdrop, the BGMEA chief said BGMEA initiated a centre on efficiency innovation and occupational health and safety. A network to integrate productivity and occupational safety and health, called NIPOSH has been initiated by the centre.

"The NIPOSH initiative is the first stepping stone toward our centre of innovation and efficiency,” he said while addressing meeting of the network at a city hotel.

The project intends to develop a network of professionals in the RMG industry and create a culture of collective consciousness alongside building a strong connectivity amongst the factories.

The project is funded by the Embassy of Denmark, Bangladesh in collaboration with University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). It is being jointly implemented By Centre of Efficiency, innovation and OSH (BGMEA) and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST).

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A total of 25 factories were on boarded in this project and first phase factory visit has been done. At the first factory visit, NIPOSH team has collected some basic data from the factories.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Fazli Ilahi, Vice-chancellor of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) said network meetings are an integral part of this noble initiative to have enhanced productivity with improved occupational health and safety in the garments industries of Bangladesh. 

"We hope together we will be able to reap the benefit outlined in the project objective. I appreciate this industry and academia collaboration, which will help the curriculum revision and development.”

Søren Albertsen, Sector Counsellor, Danish Embassy in Bangladesh, said there are so many obvious wins in this project and the key to real on the ground success is ownership by the top management in each factory. 

Abdulla Hil Rakib, Director, BGMEA said the organisation is making continuous stride to enhance the capacity of the mid-level management of its member factories. 

Dr. Mohammad Sarwar Morshed, Project Leader, NIPOSH, and a professor at AUST said, “Sustainable improvement for OHS and productivity in RMG sectors of Bangladesh is precondition to cope with current and upcoming challenges.

Dr. Abu Hamja, Project Coordinator and Research Fellow, NIPOSH, and Engineer Azim Mohammad, Phd Fellow, NIPOSH, spoke at the event. 

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A total of 39 representatives from 13 woven garment factories took part in the daylong session.