Setting an export target of readymade garment (RMG) worth $15-18 billion dollars in next three years, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is going to hold its three-day apparel and textile exhibition here on November 15. During the last fiscal (2006-07), the sector earned US$ 9.2 billion.

BGMEA President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury told members of the Overseas Correspondents Association (OCAB) that the exhibition called Batexpo-07, the largest textile fair in the Asia Pacific region, would facilitate foreign buyers to see Bangladeshi textiles, clothing and accessories.

He said significant number of buyers particularly from USA, Canada, UK, Middle East, Southeast Asia and many other countries of the world participated in previous Batexpo fairs.

Buyers from Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong and host Bangladesh will display their products in the exposition for which 41 different companies have already registered.

The BGMEA president hailed US Congressman Jim McDermott for introducing a bill, “New Partnership for Development Act 2007”, in the US House of Representatives on October 18 to facilitate more market access of RMG products from the LDCs, including Bangladesh, to the US market.

He said BGMEA would send an 11-member delegation to USA to discuss with the US Congressmen, including Congressman McDermott, and officials of USTR and labour organisations so the bill is passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate.

Although China, India and Sri Lanka are major competitors of Bangladeshi garment products, the BGMEA president said Bangladesh would be the main source of RMG export in the ultimate analyses, mainly in low and medium price garments.

In reply to a question, Chowdhury said export of garment worth US$ 8 million to India is a starter, saying that in the near future India could be the third largest destination of Bangladeshi RMG after USA and Europe.

He dismissed campaigns in UK against Bangladeshi garments for alleged child labour and low wages, saying that the campaigners could not produce any evidence in support of their allegations.

However, Chowdhury said BGMEA is now giving attention to human resource development, image building and improved relations between entrepreneurs and workers.

Presently some 2.4 million people, 80 percent of them women, are directly employed in the garment industry in Bangladesh.

In reply to another question, the BGMEA president said buyers this time around would feel more confident in participating in the exposition because there is no political unrest.

The value of last year’s spot order was US$ 68.61 million, about 12 million higher than the previous year. The organisers expect more spot orders this year.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the exposition as chief guest at Sonragaon Hotel on November 15 and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed will be the chief guest at the concluding ceremony.

On the sidelines of the 3-day exposition, there will be seminars and fashion shows spotlighting the country’s vibrant and burgeoning RMG sector.

BGMEA with assistance from German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is organising the exhibition.

This traditional annual exhibition provides an opportunity for Bangladeshi RMG enterpreneurs and their foreign buyers to meet and interact for further boosting the country’s apparel and textile sector which is a top foreign exchange earner.

The BGMEA president said Bangladesh’s RMG sector is competitive enough in terms of quality, prices and skilled workforce and it is possible to raise the level of exports to US$ 18 billion a year.

The world apparel market is worth US$ 500 billion, which in next few years is going to reach US$ 800 billion. Such burgeoning global market, Chowdhury said, would give Bangladesh newer opportunities to export more.