Acting President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Inamul Haque Khan, met today with John Stellansson, Head of Business Development and Network at amfori, at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara.
The meeting focused on the development of a harmonized standard aimed at promoting sustainable practices and simplifying the audit process in Bangladesh’s apparel industry.
During the discussion, Stellansson presented amfori’s new strategic roadmap, which emphasizes the decentralization of sustainability responsibilities to suppliers and manufacturers. He noted that this approach would enable factories and their buyer brands to better evaluate supply chain performance and lead times.
The initiative also seeks to reduce redundant audits across the supply chain and the financial burden associated with them. amfori encourages producers to take an active and leadership role in social and environmental due diligence.
Welcoming amfori’s new initiative, BGMEA Acting President Inamul Haque Khan reaffirmed the association’s strong commitment to establishing a unified social and environmental compliance standard for the apparel sector. He stressed the importance of an integrated audit framework to avoid duplication and improve efficiency, highlighting it as a critical issue for manufacturers.
BGMEA praised amfori’s manufacturer-centric approach and expressed a strong interest in collaborating to build capacity, share knowledge, and identify areas for improvement within factories across the industry.
Both parties agreed that close cooperation and knowledge exchange are essential to making the audit process more effective, affordable, and transparent throughout the supply chain. They also committed to further discussions on a potential partnership and the launch of a pilot initiative.
It is worth noting that amfori is a leading global business association working to advance sustainable trade. Its mission is to help businesses worldwide make their supply chains more transparent, ethical, and environmentally responsible.