Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has won the prestigious "US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Award" for its efforts in developing Bangladesh as the home of green garment factories of the world.

BGMEA is the first organisation in the world to receive such an award and it is a big international recognition, said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan Saturday during a virtual media briefing from the association's office in the capital.

Bangladesh now has 143 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified garment factories – the highest in the world.

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Of these factories, 41 are platinum rated and the rest are gold and silver-rated ones certified by the USGBC.

Also, around 500 more apparel factories are waiting to be certified by the USGBC as green factory buildings, the BGMEA president said.

"As the country's pioneering export industry, the apparel industry holds the responsibility of running the engine of economic growth. But while we do it, we cannot stay indifferent to the negative externalities of growth – especially when it comes to the environment," Faruque Hassan said.

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"Green factory buildings are environment friendly in planning, design, construction and operation, which reduce or eliminate negative impacts and improve our quality of life through its lifetime." 

"These buildings have cleaner air circulation, more access to daylight, less pollution, harm-free chemical paints and finishing, which create a healthier working environment. The improved quality of the environment does not only reduce the prevalence of asthma and respiratory allergies but also encourages workers and boosts retention rate and productivity," the BGMEA president said.

BGMEA Vice-President Md Shahidullah Azim and directors Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee and Md Mohiuddin Rubel were also present at the briefing.