BGMEA, BKMEA leaders meet with PM, seek policy support

Leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) yesterday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The business leaders met the premier at the Prime Minister’s in separate meetings at the Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday , said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony.

During the meeting with the Prime Minister, he said, the BGMEA and BKMEA leaders discussed the current situation and future prospects of the country’s ready-made garments and knitwear industries – two of the key drivers of the national economy- as well as various aspects of expanding the country’s export trade.

Garment exporters urged the government to ensure uninterrupted power and energy supply, quick release of export receipts from banks, reopening of closed factories, and easing of customs rules.

After the meeting, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan told the media that they discussed export diversification within the garment sector, reopening of closed factories, and the struggles many factories face for survival.

Regarding factory reopening, Khan said a total of 104 factories have informed the BGMEA about their closure so far.

The BGMEA will scrutinise the cases of closed factories to identify the genuine reasons for the shutdowns.

Following the scrutiny, the association will send recommendations for reopening those factories, as the government is working to open a Tk 20,000 crore fund to assist in their revival.

BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said they thanked the prime minister for taking the initiative to defer Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category for three more years.

Hatem further raised concerns about misuse of the bond facility and urged action against violators of bond licences.

Additionally, he called for easing the rules of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), particularly customs procedures, to smoothen export and import processes and reduce lead times.

Industries Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO Spokesperson Mahdi Amin and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar were present at the meeting, among others.