BSS, Dhaka :
The country should carry out a Readymade Garment (RMG) census to know the exact number of workers working in the apparel industry and their characteristics, a leading economist said here yesterday.
“Alongside looking into compliance issue, we need to conduct a RMG survey to know the characteristics of workers…it will largely benefit local apparel makers,” said Dr Binayak Sen, Research Director at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), at a dialogue in the city.
Chintar Chash, a research-oriented organization, arranged the dialogue titled ‘Challenges of RMG Industry and Way Out’ at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC).
Former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed moderated the session while Director of Economic Research Bureau (ERB) and Professor of Economics Department of Dhaka University Dr Shafiq Uz Zaman presented the keynote paper.
Former Caretaker Government advisers Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman and Mahbub Jamil, noted columnist Syed Abul Moksud, Chairman of Chintar Chash Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman and Secretary General of Citizen Rights Movement Tushar Rehman addressed it.
Former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedi, former president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Fazlul Haque and first vice-president of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem also spoke.
Dr Sen said, the RMG survey should be included in the year-long plan of BGMEA. He highlighted different issues including compliance issue and safety standard and labour rights.
About the widely-talked compliance issue, he said as the United States seems to be worried about the issue, it (US) should be engaged in compliance financing in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should follow its historical labour rights instead of international standard, he observed.
The researcher suggested for an inter city connectivity before shifting garment units from the capital.
Dr Hossain Zillur said Bangladesh has advanced forward much than other competitors due to its unique advantage of cheap labour cost. “But skilled labour force will dominate the industry in future. Therefore, entrepreneurs and the government must look into the issue right now,” said the economist.
Dr Zillur criticized a section of BGMEA leaders for encouraging sub-contracting saying that this sub-contracting is a threat for the industry. He also called for better health, accommodation and communication and workers-owners relations in the greater interest of the multi-billion dollar industry.
Abdus Salam Murshedi said Bangladesh has the potential to earn US$50 billion by the next five years provided with promotion of backward linkage industries. But lands, utilities and financial support are needed for promotion of the backward linkage industry, he said.
Fazlul Haque said apparel makers are not ready for it due to lack of infrastructure and communication. “We need a RMG policy like export policy,” he said.
The country should carry out a Readymade Garment (RMG) census to know the exact number of workers working in the apparel industry and their characteristics, a leading economist said here yesterday.
“Alongside looking into compliance issue, we need to conduct a RMG survey to know the characteristics of workers…it will largely benefit local apparel makers,” said Dr Binayak Sen, Research Director at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), at a dialogue in the city.
Chintar Chash, a research-oriented organization, arranged the dialogue titled ‘Challenges of RMG Industry and Way Out’ at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC).
Former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed moderated the session while Director of Economic Research Bureau (ERB) and Professor of Economics Department of Dhaka University Dr Shafiq Uz Zaman presented the keynote paper.
Former Caretaker Government advisers Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman and Mahbub Jamil, noted columnist Syed Abul Moksud, Chairman of Chintar Chash Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman and Secretary General of Citizen Rights Movement Tushar Rehman addressed it.
Former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedi, former president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Fazlul Haque and first vice-president of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem also spoke.
Dr Sen said, the RMG survey should be included in the year-long plan of BGMEA. He highlighted different issues including compliance issue and safety standard and labour rights.
About the widely-talked compliance issue, he said as the United States seems to be worried about the issue, it (US) should be engaged in compliance financing in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should follow its historical labour rights instead of international standard, he observed.
The researcher suggested for an inter city connectivity before shifting garment units from the capital.
Dr Hossain Zillur said Bangladesh has advanced forward much than other competitors due to its unique advantage of cheap labour cost. “But skilled labour force will dominate the industry in future. Therefore, entrepreneurs and the government must look into the issue right now,” said the economist.
Dr Zillur criticized a section of BGMEA leaders for encouraging sub-contracting saying that this sub-contracting is a threat for the industry. He also called for better health, accommodation and communication and workers-owners relations in the greater interest of the multi-billion dollar industry.
Abdus Salam Murshedi said Bangladesh has the potential to earn US$50 billion by the next five years provided with promotion of backward linkage industries. But lands, utilities and financial support are needed for promotion of the backward linkage industry, he said.
Fazlul Haque said apparel makers are not ready for it due to lack of infrastructure and communication. “We need a RMG policy like export policy,” he said.
