ED: Building up the future of RMG

The RMG industry has for the longest time been the driving force behind the Bangladeshi economy, contributing greatly to the nation’s rapid economic growth over the last decade.

But in order for the industry to remain sustainable, it needs to modernize the way it functions, and a key aspect of such sustainability will be incorporating technologies which boost efficiency and reduce costs, so that our RMG remains competitive in the global market.

It is encouraging to see that this push is coming from second-generation entrepreneurs with a vision for the future of the industry, some of whom are contesting for the BGMEA biennial election, seeking to bring about the necessary changes that will herald in new avenues of improving the industry’s growth and output.

As one of the candidates has said, with their experience in the industry, they seek to improve the industry “by taking lessons from our predecessors” -- learning from mistakes we have made in the past in order to prevent them from reoccurring in the future.

One of the priorities for the new generation is branding the nation, with ambitions to make it the number one sourcing destination for RMG products -- a commendable approach, one which showcases an understanding of the global market and the priorities that some of the biggest clothing stores currently have.

Bangladesh already has the highest number of green factories in the world, and workplace compliance is also one of the best, and we must capitalize on this further if we are to build up our reputation as a nation which does not sacrifice the environment or worker rights in order to make profit.