A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the German International Cooperation Agency GIZ with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry in the global market and promoting environmentally friendly industrialization. Under this MoU, which will be valid from May 2026 to February 2028, both parties will work closely to ensure sustainable development, energy efficiency and circularity in the garment sector in Bangladesh. It is worth noting that this is the first formal MoU between BGMEA and GIZ for the development of the garment industry, a press release said.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan and GIZ Cluster Coordinator Thomas Rolf signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations at a ceremony held at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara.
BGMEA Vice President Vidya Amrit Khan, Vice President Mohammad Rafiq Chowdhury, Director Shah Raed Chowdhury, Director Sheikh Hossain Mohammad Mostafiz, Director Enamul Aziz Chowdhury and GIZ Bangladesh STILE II Project Heads Michael Claude and Md. Tanvir Masud were also present at the MoU ceremony.
Areas of Cooperation and Projects:
Under the signed MoU, BGMEA and GIZ will jointly work towards achieving several objectives, where STILE II (Sustainability in the Textile and Leather Industries) and SCAIP (Skills for self-Monitoring and Compliance with Clean and Fair Production in the Textile Industry) projects will play a key role. Close coordination with the Ministry of Commerce, Export Promotion Bureau and Department of Environment will be maintained for the successful implementation of these projects.
The main projects to be implemented under the MoU, – STILE II, SCAIP, EE4DEV, TVET4RE, SOSI, SKILLs4SE, CIRCLE, PDP activities are:
Ensuring a sustainable environment in the garment industry and preparing factories for new conditions of the EU market such as supply chain due diligence traceability, circularity and decarbonization. Under this, the Responsible Business Helpdesk (RBH) will be further strengthened.
To address environmental risks in the garment sector, technical guidance will be provided to ensure improved chemical management in factories, reduce environmental pollution and maintain international environmental standards. This will make Bangladesh’s garment industry more reliable to global brands as a clean and green industry.
To increase energy efficiency in factories, conduct regular energy audits and provide technical training to create skilled manpower in the renewable energy sector.
To support the creation of a digital database to ensure social security of workers and develop modern skills of workers for sustainable employment.
To create a digital marketplace to bring transparency in the management of fraud in the garment sector and to connect new technologies through strategic partnerships.
To further energize the ‘Shakti Kanya’ network to increase the participation of women at the engineering and management levels.
Focal Point and Implementation Committee:
A strong coordination structure has been set between both organizations to implement this MoU. On behalf of BGMEA, Vice President Vidya Amrit Khan will serve as the main focal point for German Technical Cooperation. GIZ will directly coordinate with BGMEA’s specialized sub-groups on ‘Circularity, Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency’ and ‘Data and Responsible Business Helpdesk’ for effective monitoring and strategic communication of the project.
At the signing ceremony, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said that this partnership will be a milestone in establishing Bangladesh’s garment industry as a responsible and environmentally friendly global hub. GIZ expressed its commitment to continue its technical support for the sustainable transformation of Bangladesh’s garment sector.
