5th edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum, organised by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) held on March 5, 2024, at the Radisson Blu, Water Garden, Dhaka.
Salman Fazlur Rahman MP, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh was present as chief guest while Mostafiz Uddin Founder & Ceo, Bangladesh Apparel Exchange. H.E. Charles Whiteley Ambassador & Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Mr. Tuomo Poutiainen Country Director, ILO Mr. Werner Lange Coordinator GIZ Textile Cluster Bangladesh, GIZ were also present as speaker of the Opening Plenary Session.
Salman Fazlur Rahman MP, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime MinisterThe chief guest Salman F Rahman said “Sustainability is now most important concern around the world where Bangladesh RMG industry has a lot progress to save environment and other natural resources.”
He further said “we are now producing 90% cotton base apparel products and MMF base garments is not exported in big scale where as world apparel market is getting larger mostly on MMF category. So to be sustainable we should shif for MMF.”
“For sustainable world circularity is also new topic to protect environment and resources. In this regard Bangladesh has tremendous improvement by setting new industry and investment.” he mentioned in the speech.
“At present world-wide apparel items are produced only 1% from recycling process and most of the unused apparel products are being kept under earth to destroy. This is also a big ecological imbalance that ever considered.”
He urged “We should also focus on carbon emission and use solar energy to save the world. But the garbage of solar panel is also became a new concern of environment where to dump and how to destroy them.”
The event held in different session on particular topic where speakers spoke on necessity of sustainable process and maintaining sustainability in every aspect of human life.
Session 01 “Vision Bangladesh | 2024 and beyond: sustaining achievements and competitiveness,”
Session 2 – “Behind the Seams: Decent Work Conditions and Livelihood in the RMG Industry – Perspectives on the Roles of Women Workers and Supervisory Practices”
Distinguished speakers of the session were Steffen Siegle (Moderator), Advisor, Programme for Sustainability in the Textile and Leather Sector (STILE), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Smita Nimilita, Bangladesh Country Lead & Global Foundations Lead, Reimaging Industry to Support Equality (RISE). Abil Bin Amin, Country Manager, ETI Bangladesh. Hans Docter, Supply chain innovation lead, Fair Wear Foundation. Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, Executive Director, Bangladesh Labour Studies – BILS. Shahidur Rahman, Professor of Sociology in the Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Brac University.
Session 03: “Sustainable use of water in the Apparel Sector: Challenges, Opportunities, and Ways Forward”
The speakers of the session were Ms. Emma Clarke, Senior Private Sector Advisor at WaterAid UK
Dr. Prosun Bhattacharya, Professor, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science, and Engineering (SEED) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.
Ms. Ashna Huq, Director at Incredible Fashions Ltd. (IFL)
Mr. Mostafizur Rahman, the Climate and Environment Portfolio Manager at the Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Mr. Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, Climate Actions Lead-Global Supply Chain at Lindex.
Session 4 ‘Energy sustainability in apparel manufacturing in Bangladesh’. The session witness the industry’s commitment and collaborative spirit as it navigates the sustainable energy transition for apparel and textile manufacturing in Bangladesh.
Influential figures such as industry leaders, policymakers, and government officials from Bangladesh and around the world were attended in the event.
