BGMEA
BGMEA honors non-resident Bangladeshis with NRB Award
Omar Ishrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Intel, Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman (Nasir), Chairman and Managing Director of Al Haramain Perfumes Group of Companies and the Chairman of NRB Bank Limited, and Kiswar Chowdhury, one of the grand finalists of MasterChef Australia, have been honoured with NRB Award.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has honored them in recognition of their contribution to brightening the image of Bangladesh abroad.
The awards were handed over to them at a grand ceremony organized by BGMEA as a part of the Made in Bangladesh Week at International Convention City Bashudhara in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Read more: BGMEA seeks uninterrupted energy supply by special arrangements
Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman was present at the award ceremony while Omar Ishrak and Kiswar Chowdhury joined the event virtually and received the awards through their representatives.
Salman Fazlur Rahman, MP, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister, graced the ceremony as the chief guest.
Nasrul Hamid, MP, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, attended the ceremony as special guest while Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA, chaired the award giving ceremony.
BGMEA has launched the first-ever NRB Award to recognize the role of non-resident Bangladeshis in the development of Bangladesh.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said, “It gives me great pleasure to honor the non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) who are upholding the good name of Bangladesh abroad and relentlessly striving to build a better Bangladesh although they are many borders away.
Read more: Bangladesh's RMG bracing for next phase of growth: BGMEA
They have selflessly contributed immensely to the development of their motherland by sending their hard-earned remittances, promoting Bangladesh abroad and bringing home knowledge and technology. Bangladesh thanks you.”
Find foreign partners for technology transfer, PM tells businessmen
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday called upon the country’s businessmen to find out their foreign partners to utilise their technology and knowledge in the local industries.
“To welcome the foreign investment, I would like to urge the local businessmen to find out your foreign partners. You can utilise their technology and knowledge in our industry. An excellent investment climate prevails in our country. Avail this opportunity,” she said.
The PM said this while inaugurating the 'Made in Bangladesh Week' organised by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The week-long event will end on 18 November 2022, with the theme "Care for Fashion" with an objective to showcase the capability of the country’s apparel sector before the world.
Hasina said the policy of Bangladesh is an investment-friendly one. The duty-free and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to different foreign markets attracts foreign investors, she said.
Read more: PM opens ‘Made in Bangladesh Week-2022’
“I would like to urge diplomats and foreign businessmen to choose Bangladesh for investment and sourcing for the sake of their business amid a win-win situation,” she said, adding that Bangladesh is one of the most favourable destinations for investment.
The PM said Bangladesh is developing connectivity with South Asia and South East Asia as this region is a huge market due to its large population.
Noting that Bangladesh is setting up 100 economic zones in different parts of the country, she said, “We want local and foreign investment in the 100 zones.”
The PM stressed the need for the development of agriculture goods processing and food processing industry in the economic zones as the demand for agro-goods and food items would never decline in local and foreign markets.
The Prime Minister urged the RMG business leaders to pay special attention to good work environment, wellbeing of the workers and the quality of their products.
“It is essential to ensure the welfare of the workers, production of goods in environment-friendly places, and a healthy and decent life for the workers so that they can concentrate on work. Many of you are worker-friendly. But it is neglected in some places. You will have to pay special attention to it,” she said.
Read more: PM seeks Saudi fuel with deferred payment schedule
She emphasized on taking preparation from now on for the 4th industrial revolution (4IR) by developing skilled human resources and using artificial intelligence in the local industries. “We’ll have to take preparation from now on to face the changes to be caused by the 4IR,” she said.
The PM said the government has already taken steps to develop skilled human resources for the 4IR era and is also creating new entrepreneurs.
She also stressed the need for protecting arable lands, developing environment-friendly industries, and not setting up industries here and there in an indiscriminate way.
Sheikh Hasina, also President of the ruling Awami League, said her party announced its “Charter for Change” (in its 2008 election manifesto) and Bangladesh has truly changed in the last 13 years accordingly.
She said her government has successfully implemented the Vision 2021 and the Perspective Plan-2010-2021 and fulfilled the electoral pledge.
Focusing on the success of the country’s apparel sector, the Prime Minister congratulated the RMG sector as nine out of the world’s top 10 green garment factories are in Bangladesh now.
The Prime Minister thanked foreign investors and buyers and their representatives for their participation in the Made in Bangladesh event even amid the stagnant global business caused by war, sanctions and counter-sanctions.
More than 100 participants from overseas – foreign buyers and investors or their representatives – are taking part in the weeklong event arranged to enhance the market share of Bangladeshi apparel products in the global market.
At the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister also unveiled the covers of books titled “The Untold Stories of Bangladesh RMG Industry: Economic, Social and Environmental Good Practices” and “Beauty of Bangladesh.”
PM’s Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman, BGMEA president Faruque Hassan and International Apparel Federation President Cem Atlan and BGMEA Senior Vice President SM Mannan (Kochi) also spoke at the event.
Can’t control global economy, but want to boost exports: BGMEA president
Despite serious challenges Bangladesh wants to keep its market share in the global apparels market unhurt and give it a further boost by showcasing its innovations and strengths through "Made in Bangladesh Week 2022" that begins in Dhaka on Sunday.
“We all know the situation of the global economy, but we have to do our work. We can’t control the global economy. We even want to increase our market share keeping the current export unhurt,” said Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Responding to questions at a “meet the press” event held in a city hotel on Saturday afternoon, he said their intention is to work together with all stakeholders including buyers and brands and hoped that they grow by overcoming those challenges – domestic and global.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the "Made in Bangladesh Week 2022” on Sunday (November 12, 2022) morning.
The week-long event will be inaugurated at the Hall of Fame of Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).
Read: Bangladesh’s apparel export to cross $100 bn by 2030: experts
With the theme “Care for Fashion”, the week-long event "Made in Bangladesh Week 2022” will continue till 18th November 2022.
“We want to brand Bangladesh. We want to showcase our capabilities and new innovations that we have developed in our factories. We want to showcase what we are doing and what we have done in the past several years,” he said.
The BGMEA chief said they are expecting quite a big number of their partners – brands, suppliers, development partners and others to see for themselves what Bangladesh is doing.
After the grand opening, a display zone at the Carnival Hall, titled “Experience the Transformation of RMG towards Sustainability & Innovation”, will remain open till 6 pm, said the BGMEA chief.
The Prime Minister will also launch two coffee table books, on which BGMEA has been working since the beginning of this year.
Harmonious relations between workers, employers key to Bangladesh's RMG success: BGMEA
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said harmonious industrial relations between workers and employers is one of the key factors behind the success of the country's apparel industry.
"The relations built over many years of working together have taken a solid foundation which is very important to drive the industry forward. Also, the Industrial Police has been playing a pivotal role in maintaining a peaceful and cooperative relationship between workers and employers in the apparel sector," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Thursday.
He was speaking at the founding anniversary ceremony of the Industrial Police in Dhaka.
Read: BGMEA president briefs Moody's team on sector's outlook
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan attended the programme as chief guest while Prime Minister's Adviser on Private Industry and Investment Salman Fazlur Rahman, former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries and BGMEA Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, and Public Security Division Secretary Md Aminul Islam Khan were also present at the programme.
Additional Inspector General of Industrial Police Md Mahabubor Rahman presided over the ceremony. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association Executive President Mohammad Hatem was also present.
Fifco World Corporate Champions Cup runners-up Bando gets warm reception from BGMEA
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) accorded warm reception to one of its members, Bando Design, for becoming runners-up in the Fifco World Corporate Champions Cup Football 2022.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan handed over a crest to Bando Design captain Md Imranur Rahman and his team at a reception programme in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Sixteen teams from as many countries split into four groups took part in the competition held in the UAE's Dubai. Bando represented Bangladesh at the event.
Faruque congratulated Bando on their achievement, saying the feat would brighten the image of Bangladesh internationally.
Read more: BGMEA Cup 2022 final on November 11
BGMEA Cup 2022 final on November 11
The final of the 7th BGMEA Cup Inter-Garments Football will be held Friday at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka.
At 4pm, Bando Design will lock horns with Snowtex, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan told the media in Dhaka on Wednesday.
BGMEA Director Md. Imranur Rahman was also present.
BGMEA Cup 2022 began on September 29 where mid- and upper-level management officials of 16 garment factories competed in the football tournament.
BGMEA Cup is supported by Turag Active, Sheltech, the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Fariha Group, Club11, Twelve Clothing, SARA Lifestyle, Porcelanosa Bangladesh, Sparrow, Nipa Group, and Antrix Solutions.
T-Sports is the broadcast partner of the tournament.
Read more: Epyllion clinch BGMEA Cup
BGMEA president briefs Moody's team on sector's outlook
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has briefed Moody’s Investor Service about the future priorities of the RMG industry to enhance its capabilities and competitiveness in the global market in the coming days.
The priorities include increased emphasis on product diversification, innovation, technology upgradation and skill development.
Read more: Germany's TU Dresden to give technical, knowledge support to BGMEA's CIEOSH
A delegation of Moody’s Investor Service met with BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at BGMEA Complex on Tuesday to understand the status quo of the RMG industry in Bangladesh, especially its prospects, current challenges, and way forward.
The Moody’s team included Alka Anbarasu, Associate Managing Director, and Camille Chautard, Analyst.
A representative of Bangladesh Bank was also present at the meeting, according to BGMEA.
They had discussions about different trade-related issues Bangladesh’s RMG industry, including the challenges posed by the present global energy crisis and inflation, impacts on exports and possible ways to deal with the situation.
Read more: BGMEA urges US' Jordache to source more from Bangladesh
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan apprised the Moody’s team of remarkable progress made by Bangladesh’s apparel industry, becoming one of the safest and greenest industries in the world.
Mentioning the proven resilience of the industry, he expressed high optimism would be able to weather the tough time.
The RMG sector is keeping close eyes on the global market situation and would move ahead strategically based on the situation, he added.
Moody’s Investor Service is a leading provider of credit ratings, research, and risk analysis.
Faruque Hassan invited the Moody’s delegation to the Made in Bangladesh Week which will be organised by BGMEA on 12-18 November 2022 to promote Bangladesh and the RMG industry.
Risky way of supplying gas in cylinders: Petrobangla body for strong safety rules
A technical committee of Petrobangla recommended formulating separate safety and security guidelines to allow any private company to supply gas from Bhola to local industries as CNG (compressed natural gas).
“We’ve submitted our report to the top management of Petrobangla recently”, a member of the committee, preferring anonymity, told UNB.
He said the committee also recommended involvement of the Department of Explosive in ensuring compliance of certain security protocols. The committee also wants strong monitoring by the RPGCL to ensure specific procedures in gas transportation for motor vehicles.
The state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, or Petrobangla, formed the committee last month after three local CNG refuelling companies expressed their interest to carry natural gas in CNG form from Bhola to Dhaka in trucks and covered vans.
Read: Search for gas: Chevron plans drilling in Bibiyana’s flanked area in April
Each truck or covered van will have a good number of gas cylinders, each having 90-kg gas containing capacity.
These companies—Intraco CNG, Super CNG and Oblivious—submitted separate proposals to the Sundarban Gas Company Limited (SGCL), a Petrobangla subsidiary responsible for distribution of natural gas from Bhola field to the southern and eastern parts of the country.
The SGCL forwarded the proposals to Petrobangla for the decision.
Receiving the proposals, the Petrobangla formed a 4-member technical committee, headed by director (planning) to examine the proposal and recommend follow-up actions.
Read: Low pressure problem in gas supply to industries to be resolved: Nasrul
A senior official from Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) was also kept in the committee as currently this company is responsible for import of gas through liquefied natural gas (LNG) and also for issuing permission for setting up CNG stations.
Another member of the committee said that ensuring safety is a must. Otherwise, it will be impossible to check anarchy and risk in this business as the gas will be carried through highways.
The issue of the supply of gas from Bhola came to the focus following the Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury’s recent assurance to a gathering of top business leaders to supply such gas within 2-3 months.
Petrobangla officials said that when the country has been experiencing a nagging gas crisis, the Bhola gas field has surplus production capacity which remains unutilised due to supply mechanisms.
Read: Can’t import 400 MMCFD gas as per businessmen’s demand: Energy Advisor
The gas field’s production capacity is 170 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) while it produces 90 MMCFD. So easily, 80 MMCFD gas could be supplied to the national network if safe transportation is ensured, Petrobangla chairman Nazmul Ahsan recently told reporters.
At present, the country produces 2,700 MMCFD gas against a demand of 3,500 MMCFD and the deficit is about 800 MMCFD.
Currently, transportation of natural gas in CNG form by-road is prohibited considering its risk for major explosion as CNG is a form of gas processed by compressing the natural gas at 3000 PSI (pounds per square inch).
Energy experts said transportation of natural gas in CNG cylinders is not allowed in normal trucks because of its high-pressure characteristics.
Read More: Petrobangla to get Tk 2000 crore from GDF to import LNG
About the option of bringing gas from Bhola through CNG form, eminent energy expert Dr M Tamim said it will be too dangerous to carry CNG through normal trucks having cylinders, which is currently being practised by different garment and textile factories.
There are some specialised barge-mounted CNG carriers which could be allowed under certain rules and regulations.
“This kind of business needs some specific technical and technological process to be set up to ensure its safety as the CNG is of highly compressed gas of 3000 psi”, he told UNB.
Installation of such a process might not be possible within a short period of 3 or 4 months, he added.
Read More: Petrobangla starts drilling in Shahbazpur Gas Field
Despite prohibition, some textile and garment factories collect natural gas from refuelling stations through small containers, mounted on trucks, to meet their industrial needs against the backdrop of the gas crisis.
In this case, a truck carries 30-50 CNG cylinders and each cylinder has 90 kg of compressed gas bottling capacity.
This kind of CNG transportation is highly risky. An incident of explosion happened at a CNG re-fuelling stations in Gazipur in which for people were killed on October 13. Explosion occurred when a garment factory was injecting gas into cylinders in illegal from the gas station.
Despite this incident, recently, three export-oriented business bodies—Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BCMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) — requested the Bangladesh CNG Filling Station & Conversion Workshop Owners Association to supply natural gas to their member industries through cylinders.
Read More: No additional LNG supply from Qatar before 2025: Petrobangla
But CNG filling station owners rejected the request, saying that entertaining such requests is not possible as the existing law in Bangladesh does not permit them to supply CNG through cylinders.
RMG industry always looking to increase capability, sustainability
The RMG industry of Bangladesh is strongly focusing on enhancing business capabilities attaching importance to sustainability, said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan on Tuesday.
He said the International Finance Corporation has already funded several studies for the RMG sector to explore its opportunities and ways to realise them.
A delegation of BGMEA led by President Faruque Hassan met Jiyeon Janice Ryu, Resident Representative of International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Korea on Tuesday.
The BGMEA team included Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Director Asif Ashraf, Managing Director of DBL Group M. A. Jabbar and Managing Director of Hams Group Engr. Md. Shafiqur Rahman. Nuzhat Anwar, Senior Country Officer, IFC Dhaka and Nishat Chowdhury, Program Manager of IFC’s "Partnership for Cleaner Textile: PaCT" program were also present.
They had discussions about issues related to the apparel and textile industry, particularly challenges and ways to accelerate environmental sustainability in the sector.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan apprised the IFC of the progress made by Bangladesh’s apparel industry in the area environmental sustainability, including remarkable results reducing water consumption in the clothing sector of Bangladesh through the PaCT program supported by IFC.
The "Partnership for Cleaner Textile: PaCT" program has been supporting participating factories in reducing the carbon footprint and water footprint.
One of the studies aims to identify potential scope of non-cotton textile and apparel for Bangladesh in the global apparel market and formulate a strategy to develop the country's overall competitiveness and strength in the area.
He requested the IFC Representative in Korea to exchange knowledge and expertise in the area of sustainability from Korean perspective.
Faruque Hassan invited the IFC team in Korea to the Made in Bangladesh Week which will be organized by BGMEA on 12-18 November in Dhaka to promote Bangladesh and the RMG industry by showcasing its strengths and encouraging stories internationally.
BGMEA leaders, Dickson discuss ways to boost RMG export to UK market
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has discussed possible ways to increase apparel export share in the UK with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson.
Dickson had a courtesy meeting with BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at BGMEA Complex on Tuesday.
BGMEA President hopes for continued support of the British government to RMG sector.
They discussed various trade related issues, including the present situation in the UK market, challenges of the industry and the areas where the sector is focusing on to remain competitiveness in the long term.
Read: BGMEA, Fashion Design Council to promote khadi globally
They also talked about cooperation between the UK and Bangladesh regarding graduation from LDC, possible changes in the tariff regime and how to retain Bangladesh’s export competitiveness and maintain its standing in the global market in the post-LDC era, according to the BGMEA.
BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Directors Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Asif Ashraf, Tanvir Ahmed, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Director of Sales and Investment at British High Commission Dan Pasha and BTMA Director Md. Mosharaf Hossain were present at the meeting.