BGMEA President Faruque Hassan has urged global brands and buyers to adopt strategies that promote growth of both sides including manufacturers while marching towards achieving the net zero goal.

“I would like to call upon the brands to adopt inclusive strategies that also take the SMEs into the equation to ensure sustainable growth of the entire RMG industry in Bangladesh,” he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a policy dialogue titled “Sweden-Bangladesh Partnership in Renewable Energy within the RMG-sector” held in a hotel in Dhaka on December 7.

The Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh together with the Swedish brands H&M, IKEA, and Lindex along with the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and the Sweden-Bangladesh Business Council (SBBC) have set up an initiative “Sustainable Fashion Platform” to combine and coordinate the efforts on sustainability within the RMG sector in Bangladesh under one umbrella.

The discussion was organized as a part of the initiative which aims to strengthen Bangladesh’s global competitiveness and at the same time building a sustainable partnership. 

Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury BB, Hon’ble Adviser to the Prime Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs, attended the event as chief guest.

Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh; Mehdi Hasan, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Sweden; Ms. Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh; Pawan Kumar Tehlani, Lead – Sustainability and Climate Change, Business Sweden, Swedish Trade and Invest Council; Tahrin Aman, President of Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh (NCCI); and Stefan Liller, UNDP Resident Representative, Munira Sultana, Chairperson, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA); and Md. Habibur Rahman, Secretary, Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources also spoke at the dialogue.

BGMEA Directors Asif Ashraf and Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan were also present at the event.

In his speech at the dialogue as a special guest, Faruque Hassan said, “For a country like Bangladesh, the challenges of climate change is double-fold. On one hand, as a climate-vulnerable country, we have to invest in climate adaptation, and on the other hand, we have to keep ourselves competitive. We have to invest in climate mitigation to reduce carbon emission and transition to renewable sources.” 

“SMEs represent the majority of the BGMEA member factories. Given the ambitious goals made by brands towards sustainability, it is difficult for them to invest in climate action. With that in mind, it is imperative to adopt business modules that not only help only big factories in Bangladesh but also the entire industry so that no one gets left behind” he added.