BGMEA wants Dutch investment for driving sustainability

Bangladesh’s garment industry is making continuous strides towards going green, and is already the global leader with the highest number of green factories.

To uphold this momentum, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan urged the Dutch government to support this industry in the areas of environmental sustainability – circular fashion, recycling, energy efficiency.

He also invited investment from the Netherlands in the industry to accelerate its move towards sustainability.

On Saturday, a delegation led by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah met with Director of Inclusive Growth at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands René van Hell, and Asia and Oceania Department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director Karin Mössenlechner.

The principal secretary was accompanied by BGMEA President Faruque Hassan, Commerce Secretary of Bangladesh Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands M. Riaz Hamidullah, former President of MCCI Nihad Kabir in the meeting which was also attended by Netherlands Ambassador to Bangladesh Anne van Leeuwen.

Wies van Leeuwen, Business Development Coordinator, India and Bangladesh at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Joost Oorthuizen, CEO of Invest International were also present at the meeting held in the Hague, Netherlands.

The delegation appraised the Dutch government high-ups of Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while spotlighting potential of investment in sustainability in the country.

Faruque Hassan also called on the Netherlands government to extend its cooperation in developing knowledge and skills of the students of BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) in textile, apparel, fashion, design and business through collaboration with leading Dutch fashion universities and institutes.