Increased business can open up trade opportunities for Bangladesh, India: BGMEA

Increased business interactions and collaboration between apparel and textile exporters of Bangladesh and India can open up new trade opportunities, said Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), reports UNB.

It is important to provide more avenues and platforms to bring manufacturers and exporters of both countries closer so that they can reap mutual trade benefits, he said.

Faruque Hasan came up with the observations while exchanging views with Renu Mohindra, managing director of ‘Apparel Resources’, in Dhaka Sunday.

Issues of mutual interests were discussed during the meeting, especially possible collaboration between the BGMEA and Apparel Resources in promoting Bangladesh's garment industry globally through its trade exhibitions and online news portal.

They also talked about the participation of Bangladeshi garment manufacturers in the upcoming Apparel Sourcing Week scheduled to be held in Bengaluru, India from 1 July to 2 July.

Nitish Varshney, assistant editor (technical) of Apparel Online, was also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the BGMEA has urged the government to disconnect all illegal gas connections in the country.

BGMEA president Faruque Hassan made the call in another meeting with Md Mahbub Hossain, senior secretary at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, later on Sunday.

They discussed the present situation of the apparel industry, especially the current demand and supply of natural gas in the garment and textile industries and future scenarios.

Faruque said illegal gas connections deprive the government of a big revenue opportunity and also pose the risk of fire.

These connections take a large amount of gas, putting pressure on the mainline, and ultimately cause problems for the legal users, including the industrial sector, he added.

Inadequate gas supply and low pressure disrupt the production of the export-oriented industries, including garment and textile sectors which have to maintain lead time in shipping goods, Faruque said.

He assured the senior secretary of all-out cooperation from the BGMEA to the government in its drive to snap unauthorised gas connections, especially in the industrial zones.

BGMEA vice-president Shahidullah Azim and Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Managing Director Haronur Rashid Mullah were also present at the meeting.