Law enforcement agencies need to increase vigilance on the highways to prevent the theft of RMG export goods, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said: "The RMG industry of Bangladesh has earned a global reputation as the safest and greenest industry in the world, and it's an achievement that we all have to retain."
Leaders of BGMEA and the Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association have underscored the need for concerted efforts of exporters, transport owners, police administration and other parties to prevent theft of apparel goods during transportation.
The call came from a meeting held between the two associations in Dhaka Monday.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan, Vice-President Md Shahidullah Azim; Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association President Tofazzal Hossain Majumder, Executive President Syed Md Bakhtiar, and General Secretary Rustom Ali Khan were present at the meeting.
They sat together to discuss measures and ways to stop readymade garments (RMG) export goods theft on the Dhaka-Chattagram highway.
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Apart from financial losses, stealing incidents put exporters in an embarrassing situation when such cases are detected after products reach buyers, the associations said.
Also, they urged all garment factories to keep the photos of drivers, helpers and travel documents, including licences of trucks and covered vans as a precautionary measure.
The BGMEA leaders urged the Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association to ensure that a GPS tracker is installed in all goods-laden cargo vans to stop stealing during transportation.