|
DHAKA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) --The second edition of the "Dhaka Apparel Summit 2017" which kicked off here Saturday was aimed at securing a more sustainable apparel supply Chain. It was a prime event on Bangladesh's 28-billion-U.S.-dollar ready-made garment export industry.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the daylong summit which is aimed at opening dialogue on framing strategies to secure a more sustainable apparel supply chain from local and global perspectives.
As a sequel to the success of the first Dhaka Apparel Summit taking place in 2014, the daylong second edition with the theme "Together for a better tomorrow" was organized by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in collaboration with Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE).
BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman said that the summit brought together top brands, globally renowned academics, members from government, international, local development and civil society organizations, employers, workers and media to share their experiences and visionary thoughts to help the sector can realize its sustainable growth.
Organizers said the main aim of the summit was to explore priority areas for turning Bangladeshi readymade garments into a sustainable sector to set the next course of action plan on achieving the country's 50 billion U.S. dollars RMG export goal by 2021.
According to the organizers, the summit featured three main panel discussion sessions, offering an open and inter-active environment, and allowing full audience participation and the opportunity for a valid exchange of ideas.
The discussion sessions were attended by some 85 speakers from both1 home and abroad.
Sources said the summit also discussed questions about the commitments of factory owners and their global buyers to providing safe working conditions in Bangladesh's 28-billion-U.S.-dollar export sector, which comprises about 5,000 factories employing more than 4 million workers, 80 percent of whom are women.
Bangladesh's total exports in the first seven months of the current 2016-17 fiscal year (July 2016-June 2017) exceeded 20 billion U.S. dollars, 4.36 percent higher than that in the same period a year earlier, revealed the official data released earlier this month.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, readymade garment exports grew at slower 4.14 percent pace to 16.41 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of the current 2016-17 fiscal year.
Bangladesh set its export target in 2016-17 fiscal year at 37 billion U.S. dollars including 30.38 billion U.S. dollars from readymade garment products.
