Technology will be a crucial part of the next stage of industrialisation in Bangladesh when it comes to sustainability, competitiveness and creating decent employment, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said.
"Technological innovations are imperative not only to enhance competitiveness but also to make businesses sustainable," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said at the Leadership Summit hosted by the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum in Dhaka Monday.
Education Minister Dipu Moni attended the event as chief guest. Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman and Disaster Management and Relief State Minister Md Enamur Rahman were present as special guests.
Sheikh Fazle Fahim, chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum, was also present.
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Faruque said sustainability and digitalisation are interlinked and greatly complement each other. "Smart supply chain management is a great way to become resource efficient, environment friendly, and cost competitive in the long run."
"Without the use of technologies, optimum use of water, energy and other resources cannot be ensured. So, we need to inspire the use of fourth-generation technologies in our supply chain."
"As much as we are saying automation is important, we are equally concerned about jobs and livelihoods. If efficiency and competitiveness can be enhanced, it will certainly generate more business, which would require more employment in labour-intensive manufacturing," the BGMEA president said.
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Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of JICA Bangladesh; Young-ah Doh, country director, KOICA Bangladesh; Habibullah N Karim, founder and CEO, Technohaven; Sonia Bashir Kabir, managing director, SBK Ventures; Anil Sooklal, ambassador at large, Asia and BRICS, South Africa; and Nokuthula Nokky Ndlovu, managing director, Projectized Management, also spoke at the session as panellists, which was moderated by Syed Ferhat Anwar, professor, University of Dhaka.