Distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Mustafizur Rahman has said that his proposition would be that brands and buyers would have to help entrepreneurs in terms of technology transfer, labour compliance and other standards.
鈥業 think it is a good business proposition for brands and buyers to work with the entrepreneurs. The new generation knows compliance as the new normal. You will have to give the workers鈥� rights. It鈥檚 human rights. You can use it as a selling point,鈥� he said.
Mustafizur said that he was very hopeful that the success story of the Bangladesh RMG industry would continue.
鈥楤angladesh is poised for LDC graduation. I think we will have to restructure the incentives in terms of the challenges that are coming,鈥� he said while speaking at the two-day Bangladesh Denim Expo that ended on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Apparel Exchange hosted the expo where over 45 exhibitors from seven countries showcased their latest denim products, fabrics, accessories, chemicals and technologies.
The organisers said that Bangladesh Denim Expo was a pivotal international platform dedicated to showcasing the vibrant Bangladesh denim industry and driving it towards a sustainable future, embracing the vision of 鈥楢 Blue New World鈥�.
On the second day of the event, panel discussion 鈥楽haping RMG Sector in Future: GSP+ and LDC Transition鈥� addressed the critical issues surrounding Bangladesh鈥檚 transition from LDC status by 2029 and the need to secure GSP+ eligibility to maintain market access.
Additional foreign secretary (multilateral and regional), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, M Riaz Hamidullah, said that many people believed that Bangladesh would be able to meet all of the expectations.
鈥楤ut there are a lot of challenges. I think at the end, liberty, inclusion and transparency will be the key. Labour rights are also a value proposition,鈥� he said.
Mostafa Abid Khan from the Economic Relations Division said that they were excessively reliant on the garment sector.
鈥楢nd it is effectively flourishing in Bangladesh. For the EU, Bangladesh is聽 a success story. The EU is very interested in providing continued access to GSP+ to Bangladesh. The country has to adhere to compliance with the due diligence set by the EU,鈥� he said.
Edwin Koekkoek, first counsellor and team leader of Green Inclusive Development at the Embassy of the European Union said, 鈥業n the area of sustainability, due diligence is a key element. In Bangladesh, we can see progress on labour rights and environmental standards. The decarbonisation of Bangladesh will be a priority.鈥�
Ole Rosenborg Justesen, sector counsellor, Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh, focused on three areas in terms of working with Bangladesh 鈥� they are labour rights, labour law and inspection, and investments in the supply chain.
鈥楲abour inspection is absolutely crucial in terms of improving the working conditions of factories. We have to talk about investments in whole infrastructures. Instead of seeing due diligence as a hindrance, I would suggest considering it as a competitiveness.鈥�
Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo Mostafiz Uddin said that it had been over 10 years that they were working on this initiative 鈥� branding Bangladesh.
鈥榃e started this very small, with the ambition to brand Bangladesh to the world. We have not stopped but rather increased our initiatives. The industry is passing a critical moment. It is a challenging period, and I invite you all to be a part of this challenge. I would like all of your support in this journey,鈥� he said.
