Tech upgrade in textile sector gaining steam

FE Report | Published: February 05, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Finance Minister AMA Muhith sharply criticised BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia Wednesday for the ongoing 'political violent activities' in the country, as the economy is taking a knock.
"Her (Khaleda Zia) actions are completely anti-nation. She does not like progress of the country, and is destroying the future of the nation," he told his business audience at a function.
The finance minister was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of a four-day exposition styled 'Dhaka International Textile and Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2015)' at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city.
He urged the BNP leaders to persuade Khaleda Zia into staying away from such 'violent' activities.
The finance minister, however, termed the ongoing violent activities 'temporary phenomena', which, he hopes, can be overcome with people's support.
Textiles and Jute Minister Emaj Uddin Pramanik was special guest at the DTG2015 opening ceremony, presided over by President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Tapan Chowdhury.
President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Atiqul Islam, vice-president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) AH Aslam Sani and Tiger Lin, managing director, Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Co. Ltd, also spoke.
BTMA, Chan Chao International Co Ltd and Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Co have jointly organised the 12th DTG, which, in the meantime, has cast the brand as 'mini-ITMA' of South and East Asia.
The expo brought the local exporters into contact with relevant manufacturers, regional agents and wholesalers to source high-quality machinery, equipment and materials under single roof.
Around 880 exhibitors from about 32 countries and regions are displaying a wide array of state-of-the-art textile and garment technologies, machinery and parts at the exposition. Some 1,060 booths are showcasing world-class leading brands at the fair, the function was told.
The textiles and jute minister also said, "The country's textiles industry will be improved technologically and be able to increase the overall production capacity through sharing knowledge and technology at the exposition."
Billing it as the largest showcase in the sector here, FBCCI president Mr Ahmed said that the fair is very significant for sharing knowledge and latest machinery and upgrading the domestic industry.
He appreciated the organisers for regularly arranging such a mega-event in the textile sector since 2003.
Mentioning tremendous prospects of textile products, Mr Islam said the expo will facilitate exploiting the opportunities, eventually materialising the RMG-export target worth $50 billion by 2021.
The BGMEA leader, however, pointed out 'political stability' as one of five most significant factors needed to be ensured for getting to the export target.
The four other dos he cited are proper training to the people, development of the ports, availability of power, and workplace safety. Echoing his views, Mr Aslam Sani said that the main difficulty in moving forward is the political difficulty.
He requested all the political leaders concerned to work for the betterment and welfare of the people.
The BGMEA and BKMEA leaders also pledged to work together with the BTMA in order to make the RMG 2021 export target a success.
As planned, the expo introduced latest machines and technology to the country's whole textile-and garment industry-supply chain, like spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing-printing-finishing, testing, washing, embroidery, sewing, and related other equipment.
The countries from where exhibitors are attending the fair include Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA and Vietnam.
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