Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding aimed at accelerating the sustainable transformation of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector and strengthening its competitiveness in global markets.
Under the agreement, which will run from May 2026 to February 2028, the two organisations will work together to promote sustainable industrial development, energy efficiency and circularity across Bangladesh’s garment industry.
The accord marks the first formal memorandum of understanding signed between BGMEA and GIZ in support of the sector’s development.
The agreement was signed on Sunday at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka, by BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan and, on behalf of GIZ cluster co-ordinator Thomas Rolf, by Gundolf Klaehn.
Among those attending the ceremony were BGMEA vice-presidents Vidia Amrit Khan and Mohammad Rafique Chowdhury, as well as BGMEA directors and senior GIZ Bangladesh officials, including Michael Clode and Md Tanvir Masud.
The partnership will focus on a range of sustainability and compliance initiatives through projects including STILE II (Sustainability in the Textile and Leather Industries) and SCAIP (Skills for Self-Monitoring and Compliance with Clean and Fair Production in the Textile Industry). The projects will be implemented in co-ordination with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce, Export Promotion Bureau and Department of Environment.
Key areas of collaboration include preparing garment factories for emerging European Union market requirements, including supply chain due diligence, traceability, circularity and decarbonisation standards. The agreement also includes plans to strengthen the Responsible Business Helpdesk initiative.
The two organisations said they would work to improve chemical management practices in factories, reduce environmental pollution and provide technical guidance to help manufacturers comply with international environmental standards, with the aim of positioning Bangladesh’s apparel sector as a more reliable “clean and green” sourcing destination for global brands.
Other priorities include increasing energy efficiency in factories, conducting regular energy audits and providing technical training to develop a skilled workforce in renewable energy.
The agreement also outlines measures to support workers’ social protection through digital databases, enhance workforce skills for sustainable employment and establish a digital marketplace to improve transparency in textile waste management and recycling.
A further initiative will seek to increase women’s participation in engineering and management roles through the expansion of the “Shakti Konya” network.
As part of the implementation framework, Vidia Amrit Khan will serve as BGMEA’s principal focal point for German technical co-operation. GIZ will work closely with BGMEA’s specialist sub-groups on circularity, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, data and responsible business practices.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Khan said the partnership would serve as a milestone in establishing Bangladesh’s garment industry as a responsible and environmentally sustainable global manufacturing hub.
GIZ representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continuing technical support for the sustainable transformation of Bangladesh’s apparel industry.