Apparel exporters in Bangladesh need to shift their focus more towards value-added, high-end apparel items like technical apparel as their demand is high in the global market, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan said Tuesday.

The demand for man-made fibre (MMF)-based garment items is on the rise in the global market, and Bangladeshi apparel exporters should make use of the opportunity, he said while addressing a discussion organised by Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Association at a city hotel.

He said it is a good sign that orders from brands and retailers are coming to Bangladesh following the reopening of European economies and the US and it would help Bangladesh's apparel industry recover from the pandemic fallout.

"Bangladesh should aim to pursue a higher growth vision, diversifying textile material from cotton to non-cotton to make its business sustainable amid the fierce competition in the global market," Faruque said. "Now is time to shift from quantity to quality, from volume to value."

He invited foreign investment in Bangladesh's non-cotton textile industry such as the production of man-made fibre (MMF)-based apparel which will create demand for artificial fibres and other raw materials in the local market.

Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, Mohammad Hatem, executive president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, SM Rashidul Islam, general secretary of Economic Reporters Forum, Rafez Alam Chowdhury, former president of Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association, also spoke.