Apparel summit begins on Dec 7

The garment makers' platform will host Dhaka Apparel Summit next month, as part of its mission to hit the $50 billion mark in clothing exports by the 50th anniversary of the country's independence in 2021.
In fiscal 2013-14, Bangladesh exported garment products worth $24.5 billion.
“We will need to grab an additional 3 percent share of the global garment trade to reach the $50 billion mark in the next seven years,” said Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, at a press conference at the association's office in Dhaka yesterday.
By 2021, the global apparel merchandising business will be worth $650 billion a year, rising from $450 billion at present, he said. Now, Bangladesh's share in the global apparel business is 5 percent.
"We will be able to grab 8 percent of the global market by the end of 2021,” Islam said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the three-day summit at Bangabandhu International Confe-rence Centre on December 7.
The event will hold nine seminars on different issues, with the participation of scholars, business community and experts from home and abroad.
An exhibition on fire safety equipment will also be held on the sidelines. Companies from home and abroad will exhibit equipment in 92 stalls.
“We are arranging such a big event mainly to give a message of progress in the country's apparel business to the international communities.”
Only the Rana Plaza incident does not reflect the country's apparel industry; many positive things are taking place in the sector, Islam said.
“We will know how to overcome challenges from the local and international experts at the summit, as our main goal is to ensure a safe working environment.”
Some of the topics to be discussed in the seminars include infrastructure, environmental sustainability, workplace safety, sustainable production, remediation financing, reinventing the apparel model, responsible sourcing and productivity enhancement.
Francois de Maricourt, chief executive of HSBC Bangladesh, said his bank handles 9 percent of the country's total garment exports in a year.
“I have been here in Bangladesh since September and I met several garment entrepreneurs. The exporters are extremely talented here,” said Maricourt. HSBC is the main sponsor of the summit.
“The garment business in Bangla-desh is going in the right direction.”