To boost export, quality of products is a key barometer and for quality, training has no substitute, they said while addressing the inaugural function of the training course on Maintenance Technology on Industrial Sewing Machines at a seminar in the city.

Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue, speaking at the open ceremony of the five-day course as the chief guest, said Bangladesh's RMG export, which is almost US dollar 7.9 billion industry with 23 percent export growth, exceeded that of India last year for the first time in its history.

In this context, the ambassador hoped that it would be possible for Bangladesh to make further growth in exporting RMG if it keeps on making strenuous efforts to competitive through continuous improvement.

Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) of Japan organised the course in collaboration with Brother Industries Limited Japan, Brother International Singapore and Brother Bangladesh Liaison Office.

The opening function was also addressed by President of Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) Hidueo Ueno and Representative of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Tomohiro Kinomoto as the special guests. Toshiaki Yamada of Brother International Singapore and Dr AKM Moazzem Hussain, AOTS representative for Bangladesh and Nepal also spoke while Y Tsusaka of Brother International Singapore gave the vote of thanks.

Two Brother experts -- Nishi and Sekhar -- are conducting the technical sessions being attended by 50 persons from different garment industries in and around Dhaka city.

The ambassador said Bangladesh had already made an impressive strive in the RMG sector and hoped that Brother would take further entrepreneurial ventures for the development of its human resources. He urged all the participants to on pass their acquired skill and knowledge from this course to at least ten of their colleagues on return to their respective work places.

Tomohiro Kinomoto said new windows of opportunities have gradually been visualised against the uncertainties that prevailed the beginning of new era of global trade in early 2005.

Since the global markets become much sensitive in context of quality, price, regional economic blocking, environment issues and compliance, he said Bangladesh has to equip itself with the latest production technologies.