Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has stressed the need for changing poor dietary habits and improving the nutritional status of workers to ensure the wellbeing of workers and boost individual and factory-level efficiency and productivity.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan was addressing a seminar on workforce nutrition organised by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in association with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) at a city hotel Sunday.

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State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian attended it as the chief guest. M Ehsan E-Elahi, secretary at the labour and employment ministry, presided over the programme.

Faruque said the BGMEA has placed utmost importance on ensuring healthcare facilities for apparel workers. "It has been operating 12 health centres at different parts of Dhaka and Chattogram to provide basic healthcare facilities to garment workers free of cost. The BGMEA also runs a hospital in Chattogram for the workers."

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The BGMEA in collaboration with the government and development partners has been implementing various projects for ensuring workers' health and wellbeing.

With the government, the apex trade body of the country's apparel manufacturers has been "implementing a project to provide financial support to lactating female garment workers. The lactating mothers need special care, more nutrition and higher calorie," the BGMEA president said.