Time to move beyond volume, focus on value addition: BGMEA chief

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has emphasized the need for a strategic shift from volume-based production to value addition in order to foster sustainable growth of the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh.

“This transition is very much important for long-term success of the industry,” he said.

The BGMEA chief came up with the observations while speaking at the opening ceremony of a training session on ‘creating high-end fashion heritage materials from Bangladesh’ held at BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka on May 24.

The training initiative is a part of the High End Fashion Project (Linking Bangladesh’s Heritage Material to the International Export Market) under EIF Export Diversification and Competitiveness Development Project (TIER 2).

The training, conducted under the Centre of Innovation, Efficiency and Occupational Safety and Health (CIEOSH) of BGMEA, aims to create fashion professionals and designers with knowledge and skills necessary for developing high-end fashionable garments using heritage fabrics and materials

BGMEA Director Neela Hosna Ara also spoke at the opening ceremony.

Faruque Hassan said that while Bangladesh had achieved remarkable progress in terms of garment exports, it was now imperative to move beyond volume and pay attention to value addition.

By focusing on value addition and high-value fashion items, the industry could enhance its competiveness, explore new opportunities and thus secure sustainable growth in the context of changing global trends, he added.

Stressing on the importance of developing garments linking rich culture and heritage of Bangladesh with fashion, he said it would help to boost the export earnings and enhance the image of Bangladesh as a hub of high-value garment manufacturing.

When people in other countries wear apparels made using our homegrown heritage materials like Muslin, Jamdani, Khadi, Silk, and Monipuri, the fashionable garments will represent Bangladesh’s culture and heritage internationally. Thus it will increase the brand image of Bangladesh, Faruque Hassan said.

Renowned fashion designer and founder of Chicago-based fashion brand Neval Anadil Johnson is conducting the training sessions attended by designers, pattern markers, merchandisers, weavers of indigenous textile materials and fashion and textile students.

A total of 160 professionals will be imparted intensive training on high-end fashionable collection development and sustainability issues.