The Bangladeshi knitwear manufacturers are developing their capacities to produce non-cotton and high value active wear, said exporters at the two-day Bangladesh Knit Exposition-2007 that began at the Sheraton Hotel in the city on Sunday.

They said local manufacturers had advanced a lot to produce finer fabrics, attractive printing and finishing and to serve global buyers of active wears and functional wears using advanced fabric and production technology.

‘At least 10 million pieces of active wears are being shipped only by five large local knitwear manufacturers and the growth in this segment is very high,’ said Ashraful Hassan, managing director of the Grameen Knitwear that pioneered the production of advanced category knitted wear in the country in 1999.

Grameen is producing knitted walking shirts, running shirts, cycling shirts and many other varieties of active wears using Coolmax, Fresh FX, X-static, Phermolite, Suplex, Tectel and other categories of advanced non-cotton and functional fabrics.

Grameen Knitwear, which is a sister concern of the Grameen Bank, Ashraf told New Age, exported significant quantity of Coolmax fabrics recently to manufacturers in China.

‘Really, global buyers little know that many Bangladeshi exporters have developed their capacities to supply advanced grade knitted wears,’ he said.

Global market of non-cotton active wears is worth nearly a billion and larger than the market of cotton-based knitted wear.

Fazlul Hoque, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, observed that the knitwear industry was flourishing in non-cotton and high value products significantly. ‘I see it as a break through for the industry.’

Knitwear manufacturers earned $4.55 billion that was nearly half of the total apparel exports earning of Bangladesh in the fiscal 2006-2007 ended in June.

Industry people say, nearly 80 per cent of made-in-Bangladesh knitwear shipped aboard are cotton-based and suppliers were so far famous globally to sources only basic and low cost knitted wears.

Industry people say, nearly 80 per cent of made-in-Bangladesh knitwear shipped aboard are cotton-based and suppliers were so far famous globally to sources only basic and low cost knitted wears.

‘We are producing advanced T-shirts and polo shirts made of cotton illustrant, viscose and sueded fabrics and no item each is less than $2.5,’ said the official of Knitconcern having an annual turnover of $45 million from its supply to EU’s major retailer H&M and some France-based brands.

Zafar Iqbal Siddique, chairman of the garment printing company Defoin Industries, said buyers such as Wal-Mart, GAP and Walt Disney were now extensively relying on printing in knitwear they source from Bangladesh.

Including Grameen, Knitconcern and Defoin, some 51 local companies showcased their products at the show.

Organiser BKMEA’s leaders expect at least 500 buyers from different countries, including Germany Spain, the UK, the USA.