Dutch delegation meets BGMEA president to discuss cooperation opportunities

A high-level delegation of the Dutch government yesterday visited the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in the capital and met its President SM Mannan (Kochi).

The main objective of the meeting was to explore cooperation opportunities for promoting the sustainable development of RMG industry in Bangladesh, reports BSS.

The delegation consisted of Sara van Hoeve, First Secretary of Economic Affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, Lischelle Fisser, Bureau Officer for Bangladesh at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Nadia van de Weem, Private Sector Development Officer, Netherlands Enterprise Agency , Tanzila Tajreen, senior policy advisor, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh.

The meeting, coordinated by BGMEA Vice President Abdullah Hil Rakib and actively participated by Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Shovon Islam, Md. Ashikur Rahman (Tuhin) and Shams Mahmud, delved into various issues relevant to the ready-made garment industry of Bangladesh.

The meeting mainly focused on identifying potential areas of collaboration, especially environmental sustainability initiatives such as circular fashion, recycling and energy efficiency within the RMG sector.

Discussions also focused on facilitating knowledge exchange, technology transfer and access to finance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to support the sector in energy and resource efficiency, recycling and other environmental areas.

The BGMEA leaders provided an overview of the RMG industry and highlighted current priorities and efforts to ensure a sustainable future.

They delved deeper into industry initiatives including technological advancement, innovation, digitalization and product diversification to stay competitive in the face of changing global market dynamics.

BGMEA thanked the Dutch government for its support, especially through initiatives such as the Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program, which has helped participating factories reduce their water footprint.

The importance of such initiatives was underlined to further improve sustainability and competitiveness within the RMG industry in Bangladesh.