Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) held discussions aimed at further strengthening collaboration in promoting ethical and sustainable practices within Bangladesh’s apparel industry.

The discussion took place during a courtesy meeting on July 7 at the BGMEA office in Uttara, where Kamrun Nahar, WRAP’s Head of Operations for Bangladesh and Pakistan, met with BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan. Also present were BGMEA Director Nafis Ud Doula and WRAP’s Manager of Administrative Operations Tanzina Afrin.

During the meeting, both sides discussed opportunities for deepening cooperation, especially the implementation of the MoU signed between BGMEA and WRAP in 2022. They also had discussions about updating audit standards to meet evolving industry requirements.

Other key issues highlighted in the meeting included the requirement to keep 30% of factory rooftops open—an obstacle to installing solar power systems—as well as limitations related to shared factory buildings. Both sides emphasized the need to revisit these provisions to better support the industry’s modernization and sustainability goals.

BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan urged WRAP to engage with global apparel brands to initiate the development of a Unified Code of Conduct for the garment industry. 

He further requested WRAP to share audit-based insights on the overall status of garment factories in Bangladesh, noting that such data would be instrumental in guiding industry policy and strengthening Bangladesh’s position as a preferred global destination for ethical apparel production.

In response, Kamrun Nahar reaffirmed WRAP’s commitment to ongoing collaboration and encouraged more participation from BGMEA members in WRAP’s training programs.