BSS, Dhaka :
Putting high hope on the future of the country’s readymade garment (RMG) sector, leading global retailers said that Bangladesh would achieve the $50-billion export target by 2021.
The retailers, who participated in the three-day mega event early this month, expressed their highly positive feedback to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) through emails, a BGMEA statement said on Thursday.
The event was organised to devising a roadmap to achieve the export target.
“The export target of $50-billion set by the BGMEA could be achieved by 2021,” said Arnold Marshal Zack, Professor of Harvard Law School.
He said Bangladesh would be top RMG manufacturing country in South-East Asia if the country works in combine with all.
Zack in the email to BGMEA President also expressed his interest in working with BGMEA in the sector.
“The apparel summit has put forwarded the impeccable story of Bangladesh’s RMG sector before the world community. It has also helped to develop inter-relation that would bring positive change among the people of the sector,” he said.
Zack said he gathered vast knowledge on Bangladesh and its RMG sector through the apparel summit.
Jean Lambert, Green Member of European Parliament for London, said that he was overwhelmed with the ambitious future plans and recommendations came from the apparel summit.
“I am waiting to see how the plans and recommendations are implemented with maintaining a sustainable and ethical standard,” he added.
Thomas A. Nelson, Vice President, Supply Chain – Global Product Supply, VF Corporation in his email said that he is highly delighted in taking part at the apparel summit. “BGMEA has lifted them a new height through the summit and it’s totally impossible for anyone to go beyond the benchmark,” he opined.
VF Corporation would continue its support to expand business in Bangladesh and financing with low interest for factory remediation, added Nelson.
Thomas A Kochan, Professor, Work and Employment Relations, Sloan School of Management, MIT, Boston assured the RMG entrepreneurs that they would work together with the entrepreneurs to ensure safety and develop working environment in the factory.
Avedis H Seferian, President and CEO of Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), said that he firmly believed the US$ 50 billion export target set by the BGMEA would be implemented by 2021.
Rachel Heath, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Washington, Seattle, Rick Darling, Executive Director, Government and Public Affairs, Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd, Ms. Sarah Labowitz, Co-Director, New York University Stern Center for Business and Human Rights also sent separate emails to BGMEA praising the event and expressing their high hope on the bright future of the country’s RMG sector.
