Bangladesh now a hub of sportswear outsourcing

Workers at a factory in Gazipur check Puma sportswear. The production of quaility ready-made garments made Bangladesh a global hub of sportswear outsourcing.Photo: Amran HossainRefayet ullah mirdha

Bangladesh has become a global hub for outsourcing sportswear as internationally renowned brands in large numbers are flocking here to purchase such special clothing ahead of big global sports events.

Quality and cheaper rate of such local apparels attract the buyers, industry insiders say.

Sportswear brands such as Nike, Puma and Adidas are already engaged in outsourcing sportswear items from Bangladesh.

"I have exported sportswear for the players and audience of different countries in the last World Cup football, held in Germany. I am sending huge number of such item for the South Africa World Cup, too," said M A Rahim Firoz, a director of DBL Group, mainly a knitwear maker.

He sees the rise in buying orders from renowned companies as a sign of better days in the coming years. “The higher demand manifests that foreign buyers have confidence in Bangladesh made sportswear items,” Firoz said.

Dozens of garment factories are now getting export orders round the year, he added.

Talking to The Daily Star, Viyellatex Group Chairman and Managing Director K M Rezaul Hasanat pointed to another factor that contributed to the high demand for sportswear.

This clothing is being used as a fashion item as western styles pass through a wider change.

"Nowadays, people also wear sportswear as casual dresses at home or office. This is why the demand for such clothing is increasing in the western world," Hasanat said.

Bangladesh has been supplying sportswear for different renowned football, cricket and baseball clubs in USA, EU and other countries, he added.

When asked, Managing Director of Epyllion Group Reaz Uddin Al-Mamoon said his company has already started shipment of jerseys for audience of the World Cup football in South Africa in 2010.

"I hope I fetch $5.0 million this year from exports of at least 25 lakh pieces of sportswear to South Africa," he said, pointing his finger at the recently-signed agreement with the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

Mamoon said he has already completed the shipment of 2 lakh pieces of sportswear to South Africa and the rest of the shipments will be completed soon. He said he sent sportswear also for the Germany World Cup.

"Bangladesh has ample scope for being a major global market player in sportswear as the country can supply fine stitched products with cheaper rates," Mamoon said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh exported RMG products worth $3.03 billion in the first three months (July-September) of the current fiscal year compared with $3.35 billion in the same period last year.

The target for knitwear export was fixed at $7.29 billion in fiscal 2009-10 against the achievement at $6.429 billion in 2008-09. In the case of woven, the export target was fixed at $6.68 billion for the current fiscal year against $5.91 billion earned in 2008-09, the Export Promotion Bureau said.

reefat@thedailystar.net