Business Report :
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) have agreed to work more closely to resolve persistent challenges in the country’s apparel industry, a sector regarded as the backbone of the national economy.
The commitment was outlined by Mohammad Mahbubul Hasan, Deputy Inspector General of DIFE in Chattogram, during a recent meeting with BGMEA leaders at the association’s regional office.
He stressed that the inspectorate aims to support factory owners and reduce unnecessary disputes that often escalate due to outside interference. “We want this industry to survive. Our role is to assist garment factory owners.
Some third parties take advantage of small issues in the sector and turn them into big problems. We want these problems to stop. For this, we want to work unitedly with BGMEA.
With logic, discussion, and law, all problems in the industry can be solved. The relevant government departments will always stand by you,” Mahbubul said.
Mahbubul further said that if DIFE and BGMEA work with more dedication, complaints in the sector can be significantly reduced.
“Issues related to harassment during license acquisition will also be resolved,” he noted.
He emphasized that many misunderstandings arise due to lack of communication and can be avoided through improved coordination and timely intervention.
“We want complaints regarding labour laws to be settled among yourselves.
If we work together, issues between owners and workers will not escalate,” he added.
He assured the industry that DIFE aims to modernize its inspection and service delivery systems to enhance transparency and reduce delays, ensuring smoother operations for factories.
At the meeting, BGMEA’s Acting First Vice-President Mohammad Rafique Chowdhury said factory owners often face severe difficulties in obtaining or renewing government licenses.
“Due to various issues, many factories are already shutting down. The condition of small factories is even more dire,” he said.
“If the complexities in the law are not reduced, the garment business will fall into foreign hands. BGMEA does not want to see a single factory fall into trouble or shut down,” he added.
He urged the government to extend cooperation and support on issues such as license renewal, new license issuance, worker complaints, conduct guidelines for inspections, complications regarding wages and salaries, monitoring of non-bonded factories, and preventing harassment by external labour leaders.
Rafique noted that simplifying procedures and strengthening coordination with DIFE would greatly improve business confidence, especially at a time when global market conditions remain uncertain and competition continues to intensify.
