The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has signed separate agreements with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) to train 22,815 workers, employees and mid-level officials in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector over the next three fiscal years.
The agreements were signed on Thursday at the EPB conference room in Dhaka in the presence of EPB Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Mohammad Hasan Arif, who chaired the ceremony. The programme will run during the 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 fiscal years, with funding provided through the Ministry of Commerce’s Training Fund, EPB said in a press release.
Under the initiative, BGMEA and BKMEA will conduct five-day training courses for garment workers, while BUFT will offer six-month Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) courses for mid-level officials.
The programme aims to raise productivity, promote the use of modern machinery, improve the production of high-quality products in line with international market requirements and develop skilled professionals to help save foreign exchange. It will also place special emphasis on compliance requirements and Rules of Origin for export destinations, including the European Union.
Speaking at the event, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said the number of suit factories in Bangladesh is increasing and suggested replacing training on basic woven machinery with modules on circular knitting machines and compliance to make the programme more relevant and effective.
A BKMEA representative said the resumption of the training programme would benefit the entire ready-made garment industry, from workers and employees to officers.
Hasan Arif stressed the need to modernise and improve the quality of the training modules, strengthen monitoring of the programme and assess how participants apply their knowledge to benefit the garment sector after completing the courses.
He also emphasised the importance of close supervision by all participating organisations throughout the three-year programme and urged them to maintain transparency, accountability and commitment in implementing every batch of the government-funded training.
Among those attending the signing ceremony were EPB Director General and CMC Chief Md Ruhul Amin, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, BKMEA Executive President Fazle Shamim Ehsan, BUFT Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ayub Nabi Khan and other senior officials.
The agreement is expected to support the modernisation of Bangladesh’s garment industry and further strengthen the sector’s export competitiveness.
