Bangladesh’s garment industry is committed to continue its pursuance of excellence in the area of environmental sustainability in a bid to manufacture garments in a way that is good for people and the planet.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the remark during a meeting with Mark D’Sa, Business Development, Panda Biotech, an emerging leader in the industrial hemp fiber industry, in Washington D. C. on March 10.

BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Abdullah Hil Rakib and Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Chairman of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud were present at the meeting.

Commercial Counsellor at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington Md Salim Reza, Commercial Counsellor at Bangladesh’s Consulate General in Los Angeles S. M. Khurshid-Ul-Alam and Director of Mahmud Group Gazi Mahbubul Aalm were also present on the occasion.

They had a discussion over possible scope of partnership and engagement with Panda Biotech to facilitate the Bangladesh RMG industry’s use of environmentally friendly hemp to craft high-quality, eco-conscious apparel. 

Faruque Hassan said Bangladesh's garment industry has made tremendous strides over the past years in integrating sustainability into the core of its operations.

The industry is looking into every possible avenue to integrate sustainability into apparel manufacturing to provide consumers with eco-friendly apparel.

To drive environmental sustainability more forward, Bangladesh’s RMG industry is shifting from cotton to non-cotton products, he said adding that hemp can create a perfect complement fiber to cotton. 

Industrial hemp is a regenerative crop due to its ability to grow with little water, minimal-to-no pesticides and herbicides, production of a high per acre fiber yield, and absorption of more carbon dioxide per acre than any forest or commercial crop.