Leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association held talks with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday to discuss the current challenges facing the country’s export-oriented garment sector and strategies for future growth.
The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office within the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka, according to Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony.
During the discussions, business leaders and government officials reviewed the state of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment and knitwear industries, widely regarded as the main drivers of the national economy, alongside issues related to export diversification and expanding global market access.
The BGMEA delegation was led by its president, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu.
Among those attending the meeting were Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin, and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar.
According to participants, discussions focused on resolving pressures currently facing the garment industry, ensuring sustainable export growth and improving Bangladesh’s competitiveness in international markets.
Prime Minister Rahman urged garment manufacturers to place greater emphasis on export diversification, particularly through increased use of man-made fibres (MMF) to produce higher-value garments for overseas buyers.
Mr Babu welcomed the government’s decision to establish a special fund aimed at reopening closed factories, describing the move as timely. However, he called for strict transparency in selecting eligible factories to prevent misuse of funds.
He also urged the government to provide targeted policy support to factories struggling amid global economic pressures and domestic challenges, warning that further closures could put millions of jobs at risk.
The prime minister reportedly agreed that reopening closed factories and supporting vulnerable but operational factories should be treated as equal priorities.
He said the government would provide policy assistance to genuinely affected factories based on recommendations from the BGMEA.
Other members of the BGMEA delegation included senior vice-president Enamul Haque Khan, vice-president Rezwan Selim, finance vice-president Mizanur Rahman, and vice-presidents Vidya Amrit Khan, Shihab Uddoza Chowdhury and Mohammad Rafiq Chowdhury.
The association thanked the prime minister for what it described as his “timely guidance” and support for the sustainable development of Bangladesh’s industrial and economic sectors.