Staff Correspondent:
Dhaka, Sept-13,
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has urged the US brands and
retailers to be more rational in pricing in order to build a secured global
market where workplace and jobs will be safer and more sustainable.
He urged the US
government to consider reducing duty on apparel products from Bangladesh.
The BGMEA President
called on US businessmen and non-resident Bangladeshis living in the US to
explore investment opportunities in textile industries in Bangladesh, particularly
in the non-cotton segment.
He made the call while
addressing a roundtable titled "Seven years after Rana Plaza: Who is doing
what?" organised by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC recently, said
a BGMEA media release.
“Our factories are
increasingly investing money for safety and sustainability. Besides, production
cost has gone up by more than 30% in last five years. On the contrary, the
price of our apparel is declining every year," said the BGMEA chief.
While it is a fact that
in a free market economy price cannot be dictated, but nobody can justify a
lower price to produce socially fair goods, he said.
“It is the
collaboration and partnership between brands and our suppliers that has helped
us to achieve tremendous growth so far and future cooperation and partnership
will help us to maintain this,” Faruque Hassan added.
In his address at the
roundtable Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States M Shahidul Islam
highlighted the measures and initiatives taken by the government of Bangladesh
to support the RMG industry in ensuring workplace safety and the welfare of
garment workers in Bangladesh.
Senior US government
officials including Christopher Wilson, Assistant US Trade Representative for
South Asia; William Jackson, Assistant USTR for Textiles, and Jennifer Larson,
Director for South and Central Asia of the US Department of State; Maureen
Haggard, Director for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour of the US Department
of State; former Bangladeshi diplomat Farooq Sobhan, BGMEA Vice President Miran
Ali, Ambassador Teresita Schaffer from the McLarty Associates, representatives
of US-Bangladesh Business Council, American Apparel and Footwear Association,
Walmart, Target, as well as senior officials of the Bangladesh Embassy
participated in the roundtable.
BGMEA President Faruque
Hassan briefed the US Government and relevant stakeholders about how the
readymade garment industry of Bangladesh has undergone massive transformation
over the last few years to become one of the safest industries in the world and
have the highest number of green garment factories across the globe.
He apprised the
participants of the steps and measures taken by the industry to ensure workers’
wellbeing.
The BGMEA chief
stressed the need for a unified code of conduct as multiple audits are not only
waste of time and money, but also the audit fatigue makes compliance difficult
for enterprises.
End/Dct/Naj/Sma/
