The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) officially inaugurated the BGMEA Japan Desk on 23 September 2026 at the Noorul Quader Auditorium of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara.

With the motto “Connection, Collaboration and Prosperity,” this special initiative has been undertaken to strengthen economic relations between Bangladesh and Japan and explore new opportunities for bilateral trade and investment.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. SAIDA Shinichi, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, as the Chief Guest, and BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan as the Special Guest.

Top representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka, JETRO Dhaka Office, Dhaka Shumoku-Kai (JCIAD), Toyota Tsusho, Teijin Frontier, Marubeni, ITOCHU Corporation, and the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) were also present at the event.

Representing BGMEA, Senior Vice-President Inamul Haq Khan (Bablu), Vice-President (Finance) Mijanur Rahman, Vice-President Vidiya Amrit Khan, Vice-President Md. Shehab Udduza Chowdhury, Vice-President Mohammad Rafique Chowdhury, Director Nafis-Ud-Doula, Director Kazi Mizanur Rahman, Director Rumana Rashid, Director Mohammed Sohel, Director Enamul Aziz Chowdhury, and general members were present.

The Honourable Ambassador, along with other distinguished guests, formally inaugurated the Japan Desk at the BGMEA Complex by cutting the ribbon.

It may be mentioned that, with the specific objective of expanding apparel exports to the Japanese market, the current BGMEA Board formed the Japan Market Strategy Development Committee about a year ago. BGMEA Vice-President (Finance) Mijanur Rahman is serving as the Chairman of the committee, while BGMEA Director Mohammed Sohel is serving as its Coordinating Director. As part of this continued initiative, the Japan Desk was formally launched at the BGMEA office today.

The programme commenced with registration and networking, followed by a formal presentation on Bangladesh-Japan partnership.

A special presentation on the overall activities of BGMEA was delivered by BGMEA Secretary General Major General Dr. Md. Shahedul Islam, NDC, HDMC, PSC, PhD, MPhil (Retd).

The welcome address was delivered by BGMEA Vice-President (Finance) and Chairman of the Japan Market Strategy Development Committee Mijanur Rahman. He drew the Honourable Ambassador’s attention to the need for facilitating travel visas to Japan for Bangladeshi apparel entrepreneurs, particularly marketing and merchandising professionals.

The objectives, goals and action plan of the Japan Desk at BGMEA were presented by Kazi Sarwar Habib, Adviser to the BGMEA Japan Committee and Managing Director of Furushima (BD) Limited, and BGMEA Director and Coordinating Director of the Japan Market Strategy Development Committee Mohammad Sohel.

In his speech as the Chief Guest, Ambassador SAIDA Shinichi warmly congratulated everyone involved in establishing the Japan Desk at the BGMEA office. He expressed hope that the new Desk would further accelerate trade between the two countries. He also emphasised export diversification as an important factor for sustainable growth.

In his remarks, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said that BGMEA believes it is not advisable to remain overly dependent on a single sector or traditional markets. Against this backdrop, BGMEA is placing the highest priority on product and market diversification. In particular, the Japanese market holds significant potential for Bangladesh’s apparel sector. It is with the objective of harnessing this potential that the Japan Desk has been established at BGMEA.

He further noted that successfully addressing the lead time, or the ability to deliver products within the shortest possible time, is currently one of the biggest challenges in exporting apparel to the Japanese market.

Other distinguished guests present at the event included:

• Mijanur Rahman, Vice-President (Finance), BGMEA and Chairman, BGMEA Japan Committee.

• Daisuke Arai, Overseas Business Adviser, JETRO Dhaka Office.

• Yuji Wagata, President, Dhaka Shumoku-Kai (JCIAD) and Chief Representative, Toyota Tsusho Corporation.

• Takamasa Yamamoto, General Manager, Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd. Dhaka Liaison Office and Chairman, Appeal Standing Committee, Japan Chamber.

• Sugawara Manabu, Country Head of Bangladesh and General Manager (Dhaka and Chattogram Offices), Marubeni Corporation.

• Hiroaki OURA, Chief Representative and General Manager, ITOCHU Corporation Dhaka Liaison Office.

• Tarek Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun), President, Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI).

In his remarks, BGMEA Senior Vice-President Inamul Haq Khan highlighted the remarkable transformation of Bangladesh’s apparel sector, improvements in workplace safety, compliance, and the importance of developing a long-term strategic partnership with Japan.

The Japanese business representatives attending the event highly appreciated the remarkable progress of Bangladesh’s apparel sector, improvements in working conditions, and the high standards of compliance. They noted that the long-standing relationship of trust between Japan and Bangladesh would further strengthen bilateral trade in the days ahead. They expressed hope that the newly established Japan Desk would further facilitate business communication between the two countries and that this new dimension of partnership would play an important role in the economic growth of both nations.

One of the highlights of the event was a lively interactive question-and-answer session, where participating industry entrepreneurs and guests discussed various aspects of Japanese investment and potential areas of mutual cooperation in detail. The programme concluded successfully with closing remarks followed by a bilateral networking session.

The newly inaugurated BGMEA Japan Desk will primarily serve as a one-stop platform for Japanese buyers and investors. It will facilitate the proper management of small and medium-sized orders in Bangladesh, ease Japanese investment, and contribute as a milestone toward building a strong and long-term partnership between the apparel industries of Bangladesh and Japan.