BGMEA President calls on German brand Lidl to extend business co-op

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan stressed the need for stepping up the collaboration between Bangladesh and “Lidl and Kaufland Asia” to expand business cooperation, on Wednesday.

Lidl and Kaufland Asia Chief Financial Officer, Stefan Erhart, paid a courtesy visit to BGMEA president Faruque Hassan, on Wednesday to discuss issues in the BGMEA sector said a press release.

During the meeting, they discussed the current business landscape in the RMG industry of Bangladesh, its prospects, challenges and how the industry is working to address the issues.

Lidl Bangladesh, Senior Director, Bastian Grafe, was also present at the meeting.

Appreciating the progress made by the RMG industry, Stefan Erhart expressed the interest of Lidl in increasing business with Bangladesh. 

He also informed the BGMEA President about Lidl’s interest in sourcing diversified products, including tents, ceramics and bicycles from Bangladesh.

They also had discussions about the future areas of collaboration, including strengthening partnership of Lidl with their suppliers and expanding the business base in Bangladesh.

Faruque apprised the CFO of Lidl and Kaufland Asia about the recent developments in Bangladesh’s RMG industry that helped to fortify its position as a safe and sustainable apparel sourcing hub in the global market.

The President discussed the industry's ongoing initiatives as well as future plans to strengthen Bangladesh's capacity and reputation as a high-value garment manufacturing hub.

He also pointed to the industry’s increasing focus on product diversification, technology upgradation, skill development and productivity enhancement along with the immense emphasis and efforts being put to make the industry environmentally sustainable.

He requested Lidl to collaborate with the Center of Innovation Efficiency and OSH to strengthen its capacity.

He also called on the German brand to collaborate with BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) to develop the students’ skills in fashion design and relevant subjects.