Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Saturday said Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) and textile sector must focus on sustainability, innovation, research and product diversification to maintain long-term competitiveness in the global market.
“Sustainability is no longer just a slogan; it is now an essential condition for the industry’s survival and future growth,” he said at the grand launching event of Textile Innovation Exchange at a hotel in Dhaka.
The minister said the sector should ensure efficient use of electricity, gas and water through energy-saving measures, water recycling, circular production systems and better management practices.
Although Bangladesh’s apparel industry has achieved significant success over the past decades, exports still depend heavily on a limited range of products, he said.
“It will be difficult to stay ahead in global competition unless we move quickly into high-value-added products such as sportswear, man-made fibre-based garments and technical textiles,” he added.
Muktadir said Bangladesh must also diversify export products and explore new destinations to remain competitive in the European Union market and address challenges after graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
He stressed the need for greater investment in research, design development, skills enhancement and adoption of modern technologies to take the industry to a higher stage.
Highlighting the textile sector’s role in the economy, the minister said the industry has been a major driver of industrialisation and export growth by creating large-scale employment with comparatively low investment.
“With proper planning and innovation, the sector still has vast untapped potential,” he said.
Referring to the government’s plan for closed industrial units, Muktadir said no funds would be wasted on reviving inefficient factories with outdated machinery.
Instead, he said, industry-specific solutions would be adopted through industrial parks, public-private partnership (PPP) investments and leasing arrangements.
The minister said decisions would be taken in consultation with experienced private-sector entrepreneurs.
He also said sectors including leather, light engineering and shipbuilding would be revitalised through modern technology, skills development and international cooperation.
Welcoming the Textile Innovation Exchange initiative, Muktadir said stronger collaboration between industry and academia, along with experience-sharing among entrepreneurs, would help make Bangladesh’s textile sector more modern, environmentally friendly and competitive.
The minister later inaugurated the Textile Innovation Exchange platform and visited different stalls at the event.
