Bangladesh needs immediate preparation of a strategy to conduct RMG exports, the largest foreign exchange earner of the country, in the changed situation because the time is running out very fast, they said.

The speakers said at present none of the Asian textile exporting countries have assumed the role of a major challenger for Bangladesh's RMG exports because it enjoys that status of a least developed country.

But with the expiry of multi-fibre agreement (MFA) in 2005, Bangladesh will have to face competition from many Asian garments producing and exporting countries in getting the market share in the global arena, they said.

The speakers were addressing a training course on "Maintenance Technology of Industrial Sewing Machines" at Sonargaon hotel organised by the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) of Japan, in cooperation with Brother Industries Japan, Brother International Singapore and Brother Bangladesh Liaison Office.

The opening function was addressed by Eiji Sekine, president of Japanese Association in Dhaka, Sotaro Nishikawa, representative of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Dhaka, Tsuyoshi Kawamura, representative of Brother Industries Japan, Dr A K M Moazzem Hussain, representative of AOTS Dhaka and A Q Raziul Huq, vice chairman of the steering committee.

Three Japanese experts will conduct the technical sessions of the six-day course being participated by about 45 persons from different garment industries. Bangladeshi engineers will also assist them during the course.

Laying stress on the setting up of backward linkage industries, they said some Asian countries (who are not LDCs) have strong backward linkages to support quantum growth in production and export. They have also mobilised huge funds to further strengthen their backward linkage base to face the post MFA era.

Eiji Sekine said garment industries in Bangladesh have shown a big growth over the years taking full benefit of inexpensive and abundant labour. Now it has to take immediate preparation to face the post MFA era through not only competitiveness in price but also in quality of products, he added.

Sotara Nishikawa said since establishment in 1973 JETRO Dhaka has been extending financial and technical and financial support to the potential private sectors of Bangladesh through various its schemes.

Tsuyoshi Kawamura said his company holds worldwide network to provide exceptional value and satisfaction to its customers. This seminar, he hoped, would help learn something important about garment industries.

Dr Moazzem Hussain said AOTS has four training centres in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka in Japan. It has so far imparted training to more than 1500 people here under various programmes. Besides, it provided training to 850 Bangladeshi people in technical and management fields in Japan.