With the theme ‘Frontline to Future ’, the 20th edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo had been organized by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE)) in Dhaka.

The event, which took place on June 10th and 11th, showcased more than 80 exhibitors from 12 countries. Included were Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, India, Singapore and Switzerland.

Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation the of European Union in Bangladesh, said:

“We see Bangladesh entering a new phase of its economic journey. And as it does so, the challenge is to create decent jobs, skill their workforce, and attract high-quality investments to move up the value chain. It’s to help diversify their economy, ensure a clean energy transition, and prepare effectively for graduation from least developed country status.”

“We hope to see a bold, sustainable, and sustainability-driven vision in the budget, aligning with the expectations of the European Union for the creation of a level playing field for our operators and decisive steps to improve the business environment.”

Mostafiz Uddin, Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Denim said: “For more than four decades, Bangladesh’s apparel industry has stood at the frontline of global fashion. Absorbing pressure, driving growth, and delivering value to the world.”

“The 20th Bangladesh Denim Expo arrived at this pivotal crossroad with a resolute theme = ‘Frontline to Future’.” This theme is not merely a reflection of where Bangladesh apparel industry stands, it is a declaration of where it is headed.”

“From unlocking green and responsible investment to navigating post-LDC trade agreements, from championing a just transition for its workforce to pioneering product diversification beyond apparel, Bangladesh is not waiting for the future. it is building it,” he added.

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The 2-day expo kicked off with 57 exhibitors from 13 countries participating. Including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Vietnam. UAE, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA.

“Bangladesh has emerged as the fastest-growing apparel exporter to the United States in the first quarter of 2025, posting the highest year-on-year growth of 26.64%. This performance placed Bangladesh ahead of other major exporters such as India with a 24.04% rise, while Pakistan, Vietnam, and China with the rise of 17.49%, 13.96%, and 4.18% respectively at a time when US market is volatile because of imposing worldwide reciprocal tariff by the Trump’s Administration recently. I think even on the negotiation table of the trade issues our card should be the industry’s steady progress towards skill development, sustainability and innovation. As we need our trade partners as much as their consumers need us’’ said Mostafiz Uddin, Founder & CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo.

Bangladesh is the largest denim exporter both to the USA and Europe. The country is enjoying duty-free market access to the EU under the Everything But Arms (EBA) and Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) as an least developed country (LDC); but the status to be changed to a developing nation next year.

If Bangladesh could not attain GSP Plus, the country from 2029 could not export duty free to the EU, the region accounts for 50.15% of Bangladesh’s total apparel export.

“In the last edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo, we had experts panel sessions on the LDC graduation where all the speakers unanimously stressed on the capacity building of the industry to cope up with the changing tariff regimes.  So, in this edition of the expo, all the panel sessions we designed are solely meant for capacity building of both the professionals and the industry. You may also say that from this edition we shifted from plans to actions to prepare Bangladesh’s denim industry for 2029 and beyond,’’ added Mostafiz Uddin.

There are two panel sessions scheduled for the two-day event on the topics “The growth of the Bangladesh denim industry, through the perspective of denim washing” and “Stretch-ability of Bangladesh denim traceability”. 

Abdus Samad, Director, Well of Washing, Arief Labu, Co-founder & Creative Director, Ruhrose RBT Ltd. Julie Davies, GM – Processing Innovation, and Education Extension, The Woolmark Company, Kamal Uddin Mia, Chief Operation Officer (Washing), Bitopi Group, Marco Volpi, Head of Sales for the Europe and Africa region, Bluesign Technologies AG, Md. Forhad Hossain, Owner, Pure Chemicals, Raquib Imtiaz, Business manager, LC WAIKIKI, Reza e Rabbi, Head of Operation, Vertex Wear Limited,  Shohel Rana, CEO, Designer Fashion LTD and Designer Wash LTD, are sharing their expert insights in the panel sessions.

Happening also is a special presentation on ‘The denim business beside sewing and wash production’ by Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Head of Operation, Square Denims Ltd, Garment Unit. 

At the expo also a fashion trend-zone is set up to showcase cutting-edge denim innovations and unique fabrics from Bangladesh.

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The Bangladesh Climate Action Forum, organized by the Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE), will be held Oct 0ber 10th, 2024 at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 A Beacon of Hope for Our Planet
 Understanding the Climate Crisis in Bangladesh
 Moving Towards a Net-Zero Carbon Future
 Shaping a Sustainable Future Together
 4 Keynotes, 5 Panel Discussions, 6 Presentations, 6 Workshop, 2 launching events, 450+ Participants, 42+ Speakers

The forum is supported by key partners, including Apparel Impact Institute, Cascale, the European Union, GIZ, H&M, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, PDS Limited, and Target. Bringing together industry leaders, Government, climate
enthusiasts, innovators, brands, development organizations, institutions, policymakers, and academics.

The Bangladesh Climate Action Forum 2024 united many contributors to advancing climate action and sustainability. Government agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. As well as the Bangladesh Power Management Institute (BPMI), play a critical role in shaping policy discussions.

The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, exceeding the emissions from all international flights and shipping combined. This stark reality calls for immediate decarbonization efforts. By leveraging innovative low-carbon technologies, we can achieve a 50% reduction in emissions, demonstrating the power of collective action for a sustainable future.

The theme of this year’s Bangladesh Fashion, Driving Collective Climate Action ,highlights the urgent need for sustainability within the fashion and apparel sector.

The day-long Bangladesh Climate Action Forum 2024 will feature a comprehensive program. Including keynote addresses, panel discussions, presentations, workshops, and the launch of two critical initiatives.

The launch of two pivotal initiatives will occur during the event: The ‘Better Mills Initiative’ and the ‘One true SOLar Fund’. In addition, key presentations will focus on Solar Rooftop, Thermal Energy System Optimization, and Clean by Design.
The engineering workshop will feature innovators and experts from industry-leading organizations. Over 300 engineers from
apparel manufacturing units will also be present.

This is an invite-only event. For more information, please visit https://climateactionforumbd.com/ where you will also be able to register.

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Bangladesh Denim Expo is an international platform promoting the Bangladeshi denim industry towards Reimagine.

The two-day, Bangladesh Denim Expo, which took place May 6th and 7th, 2024, was organized by the Bangladesh Apparel Exchange in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Over 60 exhibitors from 11 countries showcased their latest denim products, fabrics, accessories, chemicals, technologies, and much more.

During the two days of the show, The Denim Expo also featured four panel discussions, two trend seminars and a special Closing ceremony – read more about this event below:

Chief Guest:

H.E. Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Honorable Minister for Textiles & Jute, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,

Special Guests:

1. H.E. Ms. Irma van Dueren, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh

2. Mr. Siddiqur Rahman, former President of BGMEA

3. Mr. S.M. Mannan (Kochi), President of BGMEA

4. Mr.Abdullah Hil Rakib, Vice President, BGMEA & Managing Director, Team Group

5. Mr. Ziaur Rahman, Regional Head, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ethiopia, H&M

6. MD.Mohiuddin Rubel, Additional Managing Director, Denim Expert Ltd. & Director, BGMEA

H.E. Jahangir Kabir Nanak sent a message: “As a safe and compliant sourcing hub, I invite buyers to choose Bangladesh and pay a fair price. The apparel industry is a crucial force for Bangladesh’s progress economically. I am confident that with the influence of the RMG industry, Bangladesh will significantly progress into a developed country very soon.”

H.E. Ms. Irma van Dueren: “Bangladesh has made impressive progress in economic development indicators. The RMG sector has been crucial to this progress. In the coming years, our focus on the sector will be focusing more and more on sustainability and circular practices everywhere.”

Mr. Siddiqur Rahman: “The infrastructural improvement that we see now is clearly spectacular. And I’m proud to say that much of it is contributed by the garments sector. I am confident that with the support of the government, the RMG industry can flourish even further.”

Mr. S.M. Mannan (Kochi): “We are now incorporating automation and becoming ready to acquire greater market share globally. We are making constant efforts in business sustainability, and we are optimistic that we can add even greater value in the coming years.”

Mr.Abdullah Hil Rakib: “Bangladesh Denim Expo has always been understanding of the product and materials and needs of the industry. Together with inter-ministerial cooperation we can achieve sustainable progress in the industry.”

Mr. Ziaur Rahman: “Circularity is one of the areas where we really need to work. It’s an untapped opportunity. Transparency is your next biggest best friend. If we want to lead this industry we need to focus on efficiency improvement, waste management, innovation and sustainability.”

Mr. Mohiuddin Rubel was also present the closing ceremony of the Bangladesh Denim Expo.

Mr. Mostafiz Uddin, Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) stated: “The RMG Industry of Bangladesh continues to be a driving force behind the country’s economic growth and Bangladesh Denim Expo is on a mission to expand and evolve in the industry growth.”

For more information please visit https://bangladeshdenimexpo.com/

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Bangladesh Denim Expo: Reshaping the Denim industry

• An international Trade show
• Globally renowned exhibitors from across the world
• A Series of Panel Discussions
• Trend Seminar by Global Experts

The 15^th edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo will take place on November 8^th and 9^th, 2023 the international Convention City, Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Denim Expo is a prestigious trade show in the global denim calendar. A place where visitors can get an opportunity to discover everything that’s new in denim.

In this edition, more than 80 Exhibitors from 12 countries are participating including Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, India, Singapore & Switzerland. Exhibitors will showcase their innovative products on fabrics, garments, threads, machinery, finishing equipment and accessories etc.

Through a series of Panel discussions & Trend seminars are scheduled in two days event.

Panel Discussion-1 Titled: Bangladesh Apparel Industry in 2030: The Road Ahead, Panel Discussion-2 Titled: Sustainable Transition of Denim Industry, Panel Discussion-3 Titled: Unlocking the Untapped Potentials and Panel Discussion-4 Titled: Transforming Human Capital for USD 100 Billion Industry will be discussed by the international Experts.

There is a special “Trend Zone” area, where latest denim trends and innovative products will be hand-on by the Exhibitors & visitors can get the opportunity to gain knowledge about upcoming trends on denim fabrics, styling and finishing available in Bangladesh.

Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo Mostafiz Uddin said: “why Bangladesh Denim Expo? It’s simple- People can discover, connect & create new business and also grip the chances to learn more about the industry insights.”

Bangladesh Denim Expo is an exclusive invite only show for authorized trade visitors and to explore the latest technology, equipment and materials use within the denim industry.

You can register here.

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‘Best of Bangladesh’ — the first ever sole ‘Made in Bangladesh’ show in Europe — aims to open the doors for Europe to experience what the best of Bangladeshi industries has to offer. 

As Bangladesh celebrates five decades of strong ties with Europe, in order to further strengthen the ties and deepen collaborations with the partners across Europe, Bangladesh Apparel Exchange, supported by the Bangladesh Embassy in the Netherlands, is organizing the event at the most prestigious location of  Gashouder, Westergas, Amsterdam, Netherlands on September 4th and 5th, 2023. 

The ‘Best of Bangladesh’ aims to serve as a dynamic platform to showcase the remarkable progress and abundant potential across diverse sectors of Bangladesh economy, especially manufacturing.

A total of 40 Bangladeshi companies each of which is the country’s best from apparel, textile, leather, Agro, jute, handicrafts, pharmaceutical, light engineering, digital industry, FMCG and bicycle will showcase their sustainable and innovative products in the Best of Bangladesh.  

Bangladesh economy ranks as the world’s 37th largest now and it’s a rapidly-expanding, the ‘Best of Bangladesh’ is being organized to accelerate interests and burgeoning engagements between the entrepreneurs and private sector entities on both European and Bangladeshi sides. The event has been structured to serve as a platform to showcase the multifaceted progress made and potential across diverse sectors of Bangladesh’s economy. 

Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange Mostafiz Uddin comments “It’s not just an exhibition. The Best of Bangladesh will offer an experience what the Bangladeshi industries could offer to Europe.  

“The Westergas, Amsterdam, has been chosen as the place for the event as it’s located at the centerstage of Europe and it’s expected that business communities, policy makers and media from across the Europe will flock to the Best of Bangladesh.”

‘”By visiting the Best of Bangladesh our friends from Europe could rediscover Bangladesh and keep themselves updated about the latest developments in the major industries of this South Asian emerging economy,’” he added. 

“Moreover, they would come to know through the Best of Bangladesh the quality products and the impressive stories of ‘Made in Bangladesh’ which are still little known to the European consumers.”

“In addition to making the business connections, the visitors at the event will be also able to enjoy the Bangla culture as embodied by its music, dance and art,” added Mostafiz. 

There will be an inaugural and seven interactive panel sessions at the Best of Bangladesh on the topics:

‘Bangladesh – Perspectives From An Emerging Economy’, ‘Bangladesh – Your Sustainable Sourcing Destination’, ‘Empowering the Future: Advancing Safety & Well-being for Garments Workforce in Bangladesh’, ‘Bangladesh Agro-Food: A Next Opportunity for Collaboration’, ‘Impact Investing – The Next Frontier’, ‘Sustainable Synergy: Circular Economy, Climate Action & Bangladesh’s Future’, and ‘Digitization and Digital Economy in Bangladesh’. 

Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, Minister of State and Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Tipu Munshi, MP, Commerce Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Shahriar Alam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh; André van Ommeren, Managing Director International Development, RVO; Joost Oorthuizen, CEO, Invest International; Judith Arends, Managing Director, Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI); Mathilde Miedem, Program Director, Innovation for Development, TNO; Martijn de Groot, Agribusiness, Food & Water-Asia & Forestry Portfolio Officer, FMO; Pallak Seth, Founder & Vice Chairman, PDS Limited; Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director, Fairwear Foundation; Ashish Damle, Country Director, Oxfam in Bangladesh; Janet Mensink, Executive Director, Social & Labor Convergence Program; Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director, International Accord; Peter McAllister, Executive Director, Ethical Trading Initiative; Frederik Vossenaar, Special Envoy, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands; Ivo Demmers, Executive Director, Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP); Jan Hak, President, Qua Ter Nes Holding; Matthias Brienen, Director, Larive International in Zeist; Erik Parigger, Programme Coordinator, Orange Corners; Jaap-Jan Verboom, Founder and Director, Truvalu; Machteld Ooijens, Global Director Programmes and Partnerships, Truvalu; Mike Sips, Youth Employment and Youth Entrepreneurship Adviser, RVO; Willem Grimminck, Director, One to Watch; Bob Assenberg, Fund Director, Good Fashion Fund; Professor Kim Poldner, Circular Business, Faculty of Business, Finance & Marketing, the Hague University of Applied Sciences; Sinom Noal, CEO, Upcycle Labs; Peter Portheine, Co-Founder, EIPO; among others, will be speaking at the sessions. 

More information and registration: https://bestofbangladesh.org/ 

———————————————————————————————–

For any query: info@bangladeshapparelexchange.com 

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Circularity will be the key for the next growth transition of Bangladesh’s economy according to the 1^st Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit which took place in Dhaka yesterday, June 15th, 2023.

The Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit was organized by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange in collaboration with Laudes Foundation and in partnership with P4G. The summit was powered by GIZ, Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and H&M Group. 

Md. Atiqul Islam, Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation; Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, Special Envoy to Prime Minister of Bangladesh (Environment & Climate Change) and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on MOEFCC;  Anne Van Leeuwen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh; Edimon Ginting, Country Director, Bangladesh Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank; Dr. Bernd Spanier, Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh; Leyla Ertur, Head of Sustainability, H&M Group; and Mostafiz Uddin, Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange were speakers in the opening plenary of the summit.

Md. Atiqul Islam, Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation, said ‘‘3R – reduce, recycle and reuse are the keys for sustainability. Moreover, extended product or producer responsibility as stipulated by the EU is going to be mandatory for apparel producers in Bangladesh. So, the importance of promoting circular fashion in the country cannot be overstated.’’

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, Special Envoy to Prime Minister of Bangladesh (Environment & Climate Change) and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) said ‘’In traditional economy which is linear, we produce, consume and throw away is not sustainable. So, we need to make the shift from linear to circular economy to keep resources in use for as long as possible, and extract and harvest the maximum value from the products whilst in use. For that the business cases for circularity has to be win-win for manufacturers and buyers.”

Anne Van Leeuwen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh said ‘Netherlands and Bangladesh have many things in common. One of them is both the countries are big deltas, thus vulnerable to climate change. Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in economy and social development indexes. The country has the opportunity to be a leader in circular economy too.’’

Leyla Ertur, Head of Sustainability, H&M Group said ‘’The fashion industry needs to accelerate its transformation towards circularity as the way forward to solve the biggest challenges we face, not only companies but societies in general, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. We need to join forces to build a circular fashion ecosystem and Bangladesh is unique as the country with the world’s largest share of pre-consumer textile waste readily available for recycling. Bangladesh has a great potential to attract investments from local and foreign investors to scale up the production of high-value recycled fibers from pre-consumer waste. However, we are well-aware the industry needs advancing policy to regulate the waste handling sector in order to move forward in this area.’’

Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange, Mostafiz Uddin, comments: “Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit aims to find out the opportunities for the shift from the linear to circular business model and foster collaborations among the stakeholders to promote circular economy in the country.” 

The summit was comprised of 4 plenary sessions, 3 keynotes, 3 presentations, a roundtable, and a fireside chat. 

At the plenary session ‘The Bangladesh Economy – The Path Towards a Circular Economy’, speakers were Md Ariful Hoque, Director, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA); Dr. Abdul Hamid, Director General, Department of Environment, Ministry Of Environment, Forest And Climate Change;
Dr. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Additional Secretary at Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh;
Ziaur Rahman, Regional Country Manager Production (Bangladesh, Pakistan And Ethiopia), H&M; Iqbal Chowdhury, CEO, LAFARGEHOLCIM Bangladesh Limited (LHBL); Zaved Akhtar, CEO and Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh Limited; an M Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands (Moderator).

At the plenary session ‘Circular Cities’, the speakers were Professor Akter Mahmud, Jahangirnagar University; Kristin Strandberg, Cities Strategist, Circle Economy; Engr. Taqsem A. Khan, Managing Director And CEO, Dhaka WASA; Md Ashraful Islam, Chief Town Planner, Capital Development Authority (RAJUK); and Morten Lehmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Tailwind (Moderator).  

At the plenary session ‘Accelerating Circular Economy in Apparel and Textile – The Role of Policy’, speakers were Ahmed Shihab Zaman, National Platform Liaison, Partnering For Green Growth And The Global Goals 2030 (P4g); Omar Gias, Director (Strategic Engagement), Bangladesh Apparel Exchange; Faisal Rabbi, Engagement & Public Affairs Team for H&M Group; Zaki Uz Zaman, Country Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Deputy Managing Director, Desh Garments Ltd And Director, BGMEA; Md. Akhter Hossain Apurbo, Vice President, BKMEA; Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh; and Micke Magnusson, Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Agent for Impact, Enviu (Moderator).  

At the plenary session ‘Lessons Learnt and Next Steps for Post Industrial Recycling in Bangladesh – Practical and Tangible Advice and Actions for Progress’, the speakers were Mumit Hasan, Director, Reverse Resources; Stephanie Schuitemaker, Head of Communication and Member of Holland Circular Hotspot;  Gagan Bansal, Head of Material Innovation and Strategy at H&M Group; Professor Matin Abdullah, Brac University;  and Dr. Michael Klode, Project Manager with GIZ Bangladesh (Moderator).  

The keynote ‘Circular Economy Myth Busting: A Shared Understanding’ was presented by Kim Poldner, Professor Circular Business, the Hague University of Applied Sciences. The keynote ‘Circular Economy in Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities’ was presented by Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh In the Netherlands. The keynote ‘Circular Business Models and Design for Apparel Industry in Bangladesh’ was presented by Stephanie Schuitemaker, Head of Communication, Holland Circular Hotspot.

The ‘Circularity Gap Report 2023’ was presented by Ola Bakowska, Strategist of the Circular Textiles Programme at Circle Economy. The ‘Blueprint for a Circular & Sustainable Future’ was presented by Buddhi Paranamana, Director – Sustainability & Innovation, PDS Limited. The ‘Coming into Action: How the Government can Play Their Role’ was presented by Arnoud Passenier, Strategic International Advisor Circular Economy,  The ‘Promoting Circular Fashion in Bangladesh’ was presented by Werner Lange, Coordinator GIZ Textile Cluster Bangladesh. In the fireside chat on ‘Decent Work in a Circular Economy – How to Achieve a Just Transition’ the speakers were Naureen Chowdhury, Head of Labour Rights Programme, Laudes Foundation; Apoorva Shankar, Senor Labour Market Consultant, Circle Economy; and Sandra Gonza, Strategic and Business Impact Consultant (Moderator).  

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Happening right now – stay tuned for all the news about the show in the coming days!

The 14th annual Bangladesh Denim Expo, with the theme “Innovator,” opened yesterday, Tuesday, May 16th, at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the country’s capital organized by Denim Expert Ltd.

The Bangladeshi denim industry’s growth, innovation, sustainability, and responsibility were highlighted during the two-day Denim Expo, which also served to entice buyers and highlight the possibilities of this business.  

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