Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has called upon students to prepare themselves as responsible and compassionate individuals ready to make a positive impact on the world. “Pursue excellence, embrace challenges, and create your path with determination and passion. As you embark on this exciting journey, remember that the choices you make today will shape the person you become tomorrow,” he said. RANGS eMART launches “Daikin AC- A global leader in air conditioning technology.”  The BGMEA chief was speaking at an orientation proramme organised by the Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB) for the freshers. He also highlighted the disparity between classroom education and real-world performance. Faruque Hassan stressed the significance of practical experiences, internships, and interactions with professionals in the students’ respective fields of interest. 80 percent of brokerage houses struggling Real-life training and industry orientation programmes, he said, are vital in narrowing this gap. Highlighting the immense contributions of the ready-made garment industry and its ongoing developments, President Faruque urged the students to play a crucial role in portraying the true image of the industry. Inviting them to visit garment factories, he said, “Explore our factories to witness firsthand how the industry transforms lives and contributes to the economy.” He also invited the students to visit the BGMEA Complex, exploring its initiatives in R&D, circularity, sustainability, market promotion, and design development, contributing to the advancement of the RMG industry. Uniqlo sues Shein over alleged copy of its popular ‘Mary Poppins bag’ “Your time at the university is not just about earning a degree; it’s a transformative period that shapes your character and broadens your horizons,” Faruque Hassan said. Didar A Husain, chairman of the Board of Trustees, IUB; Professor Tanweer Hasan, vice chancellor of the university; Prof. Niaz Ahmed Khan, pro-vice chancellor, Khandker Md Iftekhar Haider, treasurer of IUB were also present at the event.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has called on the wealthy to help the cold-stricken low-income people. "It's our moral and social responsibility to help those people who are leading miserable lives in this severe cold without winter essentials," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Wednesday during a winter clothes distribution programme in Dhaka. Read more: BGMEA for Bangladesh mission's support for explore more trade opportunities in Canada "We should not forget that winter is an extremely tough time for many vulnerable men, women, children and families across the country, especially in the northern part. This is where you can step in and lend your support," he added.

Aligning business strategies with changing trends in the fashion industry and building capabilities accordingly are a must to sustain in the global competitive market, said Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA. Globally the apparel industry is undergoing rapid and notable changes mostly driven by evolving technologies, and requiring businesses to cope up with new business landscape, he said. Bangladesh’s RMG industry is focusing on remodeling business, product diversification, and technology upgradation to remain sustainable and cost competitive, he added. Faruque  made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 9th edition of Intex South Asia as a special guest. Minister of Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi (Birpratik), MP attended the programme as chief guest, which was organized Worldex India in Dhaka on Thursday.  Also Read: Bangladesh, Brazil can bring more mutual trade benefits: BGMEA chief Executive President of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem, Managing Director of Worldex India Rajesh Bhagat, and Director of Worldex India Arti Bhagat also spoke at the event. The BGMEA president said Bangladesh’s apparel industry is laying emphasis on non-cotton products as the man-made fiber has been dominating the global market for a long time, and would be continued in the coming days as well. Manufacturing landscape would be influenced by 3Cs - Cost, Competitiveness and Closeness while industry 4.0 would be the key for achieving manufacturing and supply chain excellence, he said. Faruque  also stressed on the exchange of knowledge, expertise and technologies within the South Asian region, saying the cooperation and collaboration is very important for sustainable and inclusive growth and development.

The government initiatives of upgrading airports and increasing capacity of cargo handling will be instrumental in underpinning economic growth in the country, said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan. “The economy of Bangladesh is growing steadily, so is the volume of export-import. In such context, it’s of utmost important to enhance the capacity of airports, especially in Dhaka to match up with increased trade flow,” he said. READ: Bangladesh’s next development phase to depend hugely on industrialisation: BGMEA The BGMEA chief made the remarks during a meeting with Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman at CAAB office in Dhaka on Monday.  BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President Miran Ali, Director Asif Ashraf and former Director Ashikur Rahman (Tuhin) were also present at the meeting. The CAB chief gave an overview of the ongoing projects taken by the government to upgrade major airports including building new terminal and extension of runways in Dhaka, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet, said the apex body of the apparel industry on Tuesday.  BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said the initiatives would help to meet future demand of air transportation and accelerate economic growth in Bangladesh. He termed the development projects as a blessing for passengers and businesses as both the cargo and passenger capacities will increase. READ: Monthly RMG production capacity to reach $7/8bn soon: BGMEA Faruque Hassan urged the government to speed up implementation of the projects.  Air Cdre Sadikur Rahman Chowdhury, Member (Operations and Planning); Group Captain Abu Saleh Mahmud Mannafi, Member (Security); and Md. Abdul Malek, Chief Engineer; Engr. Md. Habibur Rahman, Superintending Engineer, CAAB were also present at the meeting.

Women have made a significant contribution to the socio-economic transformation of the country in the last 50 years, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan said Saturday. "Bangladesh has emerged as a role model of development in the world. The country has qualified to graduate into a developing nation from a least developed country (LDC)," he said. "All people of Bangladesh – both men and women – are behind the achievements of the country," Faruque added. Read: BGMEA requests EU to continue duty benefit for 12 years after LDC graduation He was addressing a programme organised by Women and e-Commerce (WE) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence and the 4th anniversary of the organisation. Faruque said, "Defying various odds, women are making their marks in different fields, including politics, government, business, and service. "Bangladesh has an immense opportunity to grow further where women have a great role to play." Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen attended the programme as the chief guest. Read: BGMEA urges govt to speed up airport dev projects Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for information and communication technology, and Meher Afroze Chumki, former state minister for women and children affairs, were present. Director of Giant Group Sharmeen Hassan Tithi also attended the event.

Bangladesh is a shining example of communal harmony where people of all faiths practice their religions freely and peacefully, said the country's apex trade body of apparel manufacturers Friday. "It is a right guaranteed by the Constitution of Bangladesh," Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said. Read: BGMEA requests EU to continue duty benefit for 12 years after LDC graduation People of all faiths fought together in 1971 to liberate Bangladesh and are still making efforts for the development of the country, he added. He made the remark following a visit to Sarbojanin Kendrio Kalibari in Gopalganj Friday. Read: BGMEA urges govt to speed up airport dev projects BGMEA Senior Vice-President SM Mannan (Kochi); vice-presidents Shahidullah Azim, Md Nasir Uddin and Khandoker Rafiqul Islam were also present. The BGMEA president handed over a cheque of Tk3 lakh to Sarbojanin Kendrio Kalibari.

Terming Bangladesh a land of opportunities, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has urged US businessmen and also the non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) living in the US to invest in the country which offers an attractive and investment-friendly environment. The BGMEA chief made the call while addressing a business roundtable held in New York recently, said a media release Thursday. The US-Bangladesh Business Council of the US Chamber of Commerce hosted the roundtable with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and over 30 senior executives from the US and Bangladesh business communities on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).   READ: BGMEA wants to increase RMG exports to Canada, promote positive image The event was presided over by Jay R Pryor, vice-president of business development at Chevron and the council's chair of the board of directors, and Nisha Biswal, president of US-Bangladesh Business Council and senior vice-president – South Asia, international strategy and global initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce. Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, ICT Affairs Adviser to the prime minister, M Shahidul Islam, Bangladesh ambassador to the US, and Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, also attended the roundtable. The virtual roundtable engaged high-level Bangladesh government officials as well as major US and Bangladeshi companies across sectors and supply chains as well as major Bangladeshi business associations, including the BGMEA. READ: BGMEA chief invites Canadian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh "With our ever-increasing economy, political stability and all-out effort made by our government to build infrastructures, we are now one of the most favoured countries in South Asia for trade and investment. We have favourable fiscal and non-fiscal policies for the foreign investors," Faruque said. The BGMEA president highlighted the prospects of investment in different potential sectors, including high value-added and non-cotton textiles along with others. Also, there are huge investment opportunities in other sectors that can substitute imports and complement industries in Bangladesh like spare parts, textile machinery, light engineering, jute, leather, pharmaceuticals, ceramics and shipbuilding, he added.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested global apparel buyers to nominate more shipping liners and off-docks to help suppliers make timely shipments of export containers. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the request at a meeting with stakeholders – including the main-line operator (MLO) and buyers' representatives – Thursday to discuss container stockpiling and vessel shortage problem, which has been impacting apparel exports. Read: BGMEA requests India to expedite trade through Bangaon-Benapole land port Export containers loaded with RMG products are facing a delay of extra 10-15 days at Chattogram port due to buyers' choice of selective shipping lines and off-docks, Faruque Hassan said. He requested apparel buyers, including H&M and M&S, to allow more shipping liners and off-docks, as it would reduce pressure on selective shipping lines in shipments of exported goods. Read: BGMEA urges buyers not to penalise suppliers for lockdown-caused delays BGMEA Vice-President Miran Ali; directors Asif Ashraf, Md Mohiuddin Rubel, Abdullah Hil Rakib, former director Ashikur Rahman Tuhin, Chairman of Standing Committee on Port and Shipping Hasan Abdullah, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association Director Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, H&M Regional Country Manager for Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman, Marks and Spencer Country Head Shwapna Bhowmick and Maersk Country Manager of Angshuman Mitra Mustafi attended the meeting held at BGMEA office in the capital. Earlier, the BGMEA in a letter requested global apparel buyers through the Buyers' Forum, a group of the representatives of major apparel buyers, to nominate as many forwarders as possible to deliver shipments on time.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the Indian government to expedite and facilitate Bangladeshi’s export-import trade through Bangaon-Benapole land port. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan wrote a letter to Indian High Commission in Dhaka Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Wednesday in this regard. "We earnestly request you to kindly take up the issue with concerned authorities of your country and resolve the problem at your earliest to expedite the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh, which is extremely important for our RMG sector," the letter reads. Faruque said Bangladeshi’s apparel exporters are importing substantial volume of raw materials from India and the transit time from India to Bangladesh is critical. Also read: BGMEA urges buyers not to penalise suppliers for lockdown-caused delays Recently, he said, they are facing lots of delays in transit of imported goods from India. "We are hearing from the Forwarders and Clearing agents in Benapole that the scrutiny/security measures and lack of manpower for export of goods at Indian customs point particularly Bangaon are facing long delays and the transit time is getting very long for the trucks to cross the Bangaon-Benapole boarder," he said. Due to this, Faruque said, many trucks laden import & export goods are stuck at Indian points which is hampering import & export business with India and impacting the transit time of raw materials for RMG factories in Bangladesh. "We have confidence that you can use your good office to solve this problem at Indian Customs point to expedite the smooth flow of goods from India, and thereby further facilitate the bilateral trade growth," the BGMEA president wrote. The global trade is facing very tough time due to corona pandemic, the entire supply chain of RMG sector is working on a very tight Time & Action (T&A) Calendar, the BGMEA chief said. Also read: BGMEA donates high flow nasal cannulas to DNCC Covid-19 Hospital The export trade of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments is also facing same problem, he said. Local entrepreneurs have been trying their utmost to turn around from this situation with the help of the government and all the players involved in supply chain operation. The BGMEA chief said RMG sector of Bangladesh is facing challenge to meet up the lead time given by foreign buyers to export apparels in the middle of pandemic and locked down situation. "Foreign buyers are insisting on shortest possible lead time and deadline to export the manufactured apparels. Due to shortest possible T&A, Bangladesh manufacture depends on shortest possible production time and transit time from the raw material supplying entities countries," he said.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has requested the Industrial Police chief to consider extending zones of the specialised unit of the Bangladesh Police to Uttarkhan, Dakshinkhan, Mirpur, Malibagh, Rampura and Badda where some apparel factories are operating. Additional Inspector General of Industrial Police Shafiqul Islam and Faruque Hassan had a meeting at the BGMEA office Wednesday on the law and order situation in the RMG industry during the Covid-19 period and ahead of Eid-ul Azha. Faruque thanked the Industrial Police for providing its support and cooperation to the readymade garment (RMG) industry by assuring security and a peaceful atmosphere in the sector through maintaining law and order. The BGMEA chief also praised the role of the Industrial Police in maintaining harmonious industrial relations between factory owners and workers. Shafiqul Islam said the Industrial Police has been working round the clock to maintain peace and ensure security in the industrial areas. He also assured that the Industrial Police would extend all-out support and cooperation to the RMG industry. BGMEA Senior Vice-President SM Mannan (Kochi), Vice-President Md Shahidullah Azim, Vice-President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam and Vice-President Md Nasir Uddin and directors were also present at the meeting. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Industrial Police Md Mahbubur Rahman, Additional DIG AKM Awlad Hossain, Superintendent of Police (Operations and Intelligence) Shoaib Ahmed, SPs of Industrial Police-1, Ashulia Zone, Industrial Police Zone-2, Gazipur, Industrial Police Zone-4 and Narayanganj also joined the meeting.