Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh │ গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ

Bangladesh is the world's second largest exporter of garments and textiles after China, making it one of the most important players in the global textile industry. More than 4.5 million people in Bangladesh work in the textile industry, the majority of whom are women. By 2021, the government's stated goal is to continue to grow the industry and increase annual exports of textiles and garments to a value of US$50 billion, nearly double the 2016 figure.

Legislation and enforcement has evolved significantly in many areas since the Rana Plaza disaster. These include union representation, minimum wage, and job security. Nevertheless, ILO’s International Labour Standards are still not being met in many factories. The continued growth of the industry also has an impact on the environment: In particular, the production of textiles (e.g. dyeing, printing) involves very high consumption of water, chemicals and energy.

Population

Total

165,158,616 (2022)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

2,687 (2022)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

129 (2021)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

4,000,000 (2019)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

60.5% (2018)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

4621 (2019)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 42.613 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

81.82% (2022)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 21.2%
Germany 16.8%
United Kingdom 10.6%
Spain 7.1%
France 5.6%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Ministry of Labour and Employment
Ministry of Commerce
Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE)
Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE)

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

National Coordination Committee on Workers Education (NCCWE)
IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC)
Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA)
Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF)

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Better Work Bangladesh (BWB)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
UNICEF
UNWomen
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

Awaj Foundation
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
CARE Bangladesh
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
Fairwear Foundation
Oxfam International
Plan International
Solidarity Center
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

What's going on in Bangladesh?

What's going on in Bangladesh?

Smita Nimilita is the country representative for HERproject in Bangladesh. We speak to her about the current situation in the RMG sector, the importance of creating equal pathways for women to participate in decision and policy making, and the benefits that wage digitization can bring to workers and factories.

News on Bangladesh


BGMEA seeks govt support to boost RMG sector’s green transition

Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has sought support of the government in ensuring faster and seamless services from government bodies, particularly Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), for the RMG entrepreneurs.

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Bangladesh needs to address export diversification, unskilled labour force

Bangladesh urgently needs to address export diversification, weak financial institutions, an unskilled labour force, poor foreign direct investment and forex reserves and a low tax-GDP ratio for its graduation, businesses said at a seminar on Saturday.

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Bangladesh calls for global due diligence laws to aid apparel sector

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)'s president is calling for “universal” due diligence laws as the increase in manufacturing and factory costs is making it difficult for manufacturers to comply with several types of legislation.

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Resources in Bangla

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Resources on Bangladesh

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