The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the ‘HSBC-AUW School of Apparel’ at the Asian University for Women (AUW) on Saturday jointly organized a special event titled "Industry Placement, Recruitment, and Talent Development."
The initiative aimed to develop highly skilled human resources for the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, promote leadership roles for women, and strengthen critical industry-academia collaborations.
Commerce Minister Khondker Abdul Muktadir attended the function as the chief guest. Presided over by BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, the event was addressed by AUW Vice-Chancellor and former BGMEA President Dr. Rubana Huq as a special guest.
The distinguished guest list included Youngone Corporation Chairman Kihak Sung, AUW Founder Kamal Ahmad, former BGMEA President Kutubuddin Ahmed, and senior representatives from HSBC Bangladesh, including its Head of Sustainability Syeda Afzalun Nesa.
Among the BGMEA leadership, First Vice President Selim Rahman, Senior Vice President Enamul Haq Khan, Vice President Md. Rezwan Selim, Vice President (Finance) Mijanur Rahman, and Vice President Md. Shihab Uddoja Chowdhury were present, alongside various directors and standing committee chairmen. Top local apparel entrepreneurs, international brand representatives, and AUW faculty and students also participated in the session.
The ‘HSBC-AUW School of Apparel’ was established at AUW to create a steady pipeline of highly qualified female professionals for Bangladesh's multi-billion dollar apparel sector. Saturday's event featured productive discussions centered on structured student internships, graduate recruitment, and long-term talent development strategies.
Speaking as the chief guest, Commerce Minister Khondker Abdul Muktadir welcomed the collaborative initiative, noting that the RMG sector drives nearly 85 percent of the nation's export earnings—a threshold no other sector can match in the short term.
To transform Bangladesh into an attractive global investment hub, the minister highlighted that the government is aggressively executing fast-track reforms in business startup logistics, licensing, port management, and energy infrastructure.
"The government has undertaken initiatives to provide initial regulatory approvals within just 14 days of company registration," Muktadir announced. Following successful models from Singapore and Malaysia, the state is migrating all regulatory processing online via an integrated One-Stop Service (OSS), launching unified factory inspections, and modernizing port operations. To resolve industrial energy challenges, plans are also underway to set up an additional floating LNG terminal to guarantee uninterrupted power supply.
AUW Vice-Chancellor Dr. Rubana Huq stressed the critical need for enhancing female participation in upper-management roles. She strongly urged BGMEA member factories to sponsor female apparel workers for higher education under AUW's "Master of Science in Apparel and Retail Management" program. She noted that such partnerships will create a robust pipeline of female executives specialized in supply chain management, sustainability, and industrial engineering.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan reaffirmed the association's long-term commitment to enhancing the industry’s global competitive edge through human resource development. He stated that BGMEA positively evaluates AUW's sponsorship model and will actively encourage its member factories to participate in the initiative to cultivate the next generation of apparel leaders.