Environment-friendly garment factories in Bangladesh are receiving priority from international buyers in securing work orders, but the benefits are yet to be reflected adequately in product prices, industry leaders said on Saturday.
They made the remarks at a special reception ceremony held at the Nurul Kader Auditorium of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, where HAMS Garments Limited was honoured for achieving the world’s top recognition as a green factory.
The reception was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and HAMS Garments Limited to celebrate the company’s global achievement in sustainability.
BGMEA Senior Vice-President Inamul Haq Khan handed over a special crest to HAMS Garments Managing Director Engineer Shafiqul Rahman in recognition of the factory’s outstanding performance.
In his address, Inamul Haq Khan said HAMS Garments Limited set a new world record by scoring 108 out of 110 points in the USGBC LEED Platinum certification — the highest score achieved by any green factory globally to date.
“This achievement has taken the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ brand to a new height and established a global benchmark for the country’s apparel sector,” he said.
Welcoming the guests, BGMEA Director Faisal Samad congratulated HAMS Garments, noting that achieving a score of 108 out of 110 was an extraordinary challenge.
He also stressed the need to make access to the Green Technology Fund (GTF) easier to accelerate environmentally friendly transformation across the industry.
BGMEA Director Faruk Hasan said Bangladesh has been breaking its own records in LEED certification over the past decades, significantly enhancing the global image of the apparel sector. However, he expressed disappointment that the commercial benefits remain limited.
“Although green factories are prioritised in receiving work orders, this advantage is still not properly reflected in product prices,” he said, echoing a long-standing concern of garment entrepreneurs who have invested heavily in sustainability.
Ananta Ahmed, USGBC consultant and managing director of 360 TSL, highlighted the technical aspects of the achievement, saying Bangladesh is not only advancing steadily on the path of sustainability but also setting new global standards.
Currently, Bangladesh has 273 LEED-certified green garment factories, including 115 Platinum-rated and 139 Gold-rated units. Of the world’s top 100 highest-rated green factories, 69 are located in Bangladesh.
Expressing gratitude, HAMS Garments Managing Director Engineer Shafiqul Rahman said the BGMEA initiative would inspire factory owners to take bolder steps toward sustainable industrialisation.
Among others, BGMEA Vice-President (Finance) Mizanur Rahman, Directors Faisal Samad, ABM Shamsuddin and Faruk Hasan, USGBC consultant Ananta Ahmed, ITE&T interim committee convener Engineer Ehsanul Karim Kaiser, and senior officials of HAMS Garments were present at the event.