EU Ambassador promises more investment to Bangladesh

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Saturday said that the EU wants to make more investments in Bangladesh.

"We are proud to be the largest customer of Bangladesh's readymade garments. We had a trade of around $19 billion last year," he said while visiting Mithela Textile Industries Limited in Naryanganj, which is certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED.

"I have never seen a factory quite like this. The state of automation, the attention to detail, the environmental friendliness, every aspect of the operation reflects care, thought and attention. It also reflects the care for the environment and workers," he said.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised the visit as part of its move to showcase the strength of the local garments industry.

Charles Whiteley was accompanied by foreign diplomats and high officials from Germany, Brunei, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Russia, Thailand, Nepal, and Australia and representatives from buyers.

Foreign ministry senior secretary Masud Bin Momen, Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers Exporters Association (BGMEA) were also present during the visit.

Later, they visited another factory named Fakir Fashion Ltd.

BGMEA president Faruque Hassan said that Bangladesh has 184 LEED certified garment factories which is the highest in the world. Some 500 factories are in the process of being certified.

"The purpose of this visit was to showcase the progress and development that Bangladesh has made during the last several years after the Rana Plaza collapse," he said.
He expressed hope that it will be possible to meet the export target of the garment industry despite the global challenges.

According to sources, RMG exports crossed $43 billion last fiscal year, which is around 81% of total exports. In the first 6 months of the current fiscal, about $23 million in export earnings came from this sector.