The first “Dhaka Apparel Summit” scheduled to begin from December 7, 2014, will focus on safety and sustainability and how the country can achieve US$ 50 billion in readymade garment (RMG) export by 2021.
Bangladesh’s RMG industry has been significantly supporting the economic growth of the country. However, some recent incidents in garment factories have raised global concern regarding worker safety. This summit intends to send a message to the world that this is not the true picture of the RMG sector. Talks are on to implement safety measures at workplace to create worker-safety environment. Stakeholders in this sector will also take up issues like how to build an efficient and responsible global supply chain in the textile and garment sector.
Organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in partnership with Bangladesh Brand Forum, the three-day summit will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
The other topics of discussion at the summit include dynamics of global sourcing in Bangladesh, product and market diversification, strategic plans to overcome the existing challenges, supportive government policies, importance of physical infrastructure, power, gas and energy to attain the milestone set for 2021. The summit will also help local garment manufacturers to create business relations with global buyers. A safety expo – Bangladesh Building and Fire Safety Expo 2014 – will see participation from world renowned producers of safety equipment.
The summit is expected to bring in opportunities that will help the RMG sector in Bangladesh to strengthen its foothold in the global apparel market.