Business Report :
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has made a plan to establish a large, integrated garment industrial complex in Chattogram.
Spanning at least 10 acres of land, this hub will be designed as a multi-factory, shared-space facility aimed at supporting to set garment factories with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the sector.
“This industrial complex will allow several SMEs to co-exist under one roof with shared utilities and services. It will drastically reduce overhead and production costs, make compliance easier, and provide a streamlined environment for investment,” BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan told journalists during a high-level delegation from the BGMEA met with Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of both the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), on Monday at the BIDA headquarters in Dhaka.
The meeting focused on fostering sustainable industrial practices and encouraging both domestic and foreign investment in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector – a vital pillar of Bangladesh’s economy.
The BGMEA delegation was led by its President, Mahmud Hasan Khan, and Vice President, Mijanur Rahman, along with other senior office bearers of the association. According to a press release issued after the meeting, the discussion revolved around several strategic issues critical to the continued growth and modernization of the RMG industry.
Among the key points raised were infrastructure bottlenecks, energy reliability, and access to competitively priced liquefied natural gas (LNG) for uninterrupted industrial operations. The delegation emphasized that dependable energy supply remains a prerequisite for maintaining the global competitiveness of Bangladesh’s garment industry, which accounts for over 80% of the country’s export earnings and employs around 4 million workers, the majority of whom are women.
In addition to energy-related challenges, the BGMEA leaders urged reform of the current financial and regulatory landscape. Vice President Mijanur Rahman particularly stressed the need for a reassessment of Bangladesh Bank’s existing loan classification policy, which he argued creates obstacles for genuine investors and entrepreneurs in the RMG sector.
“We believe that to attract and retain investment, especially for forward-looking ventures like textile recycling and circular economy initiatives, the loan classification standards must reflect the practical realities of industrial financing,” he said.
“We call upon BIDA to engage with the Bangladesh Bank Governor to consider constructive reforms in this area.” Rahman also highlighted concerns regarding the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) audit practices. He advocated for a more collaborative, transparent, and consultative auditing environment that facilitates industry growth rather than hindering it through bureaucratic rigidity.
