Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro on Tuesday said Italian companies have contributed to the birth and development of the Bangladesh textile industry and now wish to provide their partners with critical technology to face the new sector’s challenges - sustainability, logistics and global demand.

He made the remarks while speaking at a function attended by the visiting Italian business delegation members.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Director Chowdhury Hanif Shoeb, and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director Shah Rayeed Chowdhury, spoke at the event.

A business delegation of 11 small and medium Italian companies specialised in textile innovation and technology arrived on Monday in Bangladesh to promote trade and contacts with Bangladeshi industries.

The participating Italian companies are - Color Services, Corino Macchine, Danti Paolo, Durst, L.A.I.P. Lawer, Pinter Caipo, Reggiani Macchine, Salvade, Tecnorama and Ugolini, according to the Italian Embassy in Dhaka.

The delegation is accompanied by Italian regional Trade Commissioner Antonietta Baccanari and Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) officials.

Trade Commissioner Baccanari said Italy is globally recognised as the benchmark for excellence in textile machinery, where their heritage of precision engineering meets cutting-edge industrial design.

“Our equipment is sought after worldwide for its uncompromising performance and reliability. We do not just build machines; we engineer the future of the global textile industry. In 2025 alone, Italy exported approximately € 71 million worth of textile machinery to Bangladesh,” Baccanari said. 

ACIMIT represents over 300 companies exporting approximately 1.7 B€ annually.

The programme includes presentations, B2B meetings and visits to factories in Dhaka and Chattogram, in collaboration with BGMEA, BTMA, BKMEA, and the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the support of the Honorary Consul of Italy Salman Ispahani.