Deshbandhu eyes $50m annual RMG exports

With an annual export target of $50 million, Deshbandhu Group has officially launched the operation of two garment factories at Uttar Khan in Dhaka.  

On Wednesday, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated the official journey of the 100% export-oriented Southeast Sweaters Ltd and GM Apparels Ltd at the factory premises.

The business conglomerate has set up the garment units at a cost of Tk250 crore.  

The Accord-certified factories, which have created around 3,000 jobs for garments workers, will be able to produce 9 million pieces of sweaters, worth $50 million, per year.

The sweaters will be produced at 800 automatic machines in the factories and Bestseller, Primark, Next, Tesco, Mango and Matalan are the major buyers of the company.

Earlier, the group has established Deshbandhu Textile Mills Ltd at Uttara Export Processing Zone in Nilphamari.

Meanwhile, Deshbandhu Polymer Ltd, another concern of the group, got listed on the stock exchanges. 

Tipu Munshi said the Covid-19 has once again started impacting the businesses in the country. 

To get protection from this, the government has asked all to follow an 18-point directive. "It must be obeyed by all." 

He said the production and the export should be continued in all types of garment factories of the country in complying with the hygiene rules. 

"We must take care to avoid any impact on exports," he added. 

Golam Mostafa, chairman of Deshbandhu Group, said, "We have continued production amid the pandemic by maintaining social distance."

"We have been able to achieve the confidence of buyers within a short time because of the quality of our products."  

In 1989, Deshbandhu Group started its journey through trading and fertiliser importing. After that, it has been going forward for 32 years. 

Presently, Deshbandhu Group has everything from sugar mill, cement industry, fertiliser factory, shopping mall, shipping, textile mill, readymade garment factory, polymer, consumer, beverage, captive power plant, housing, and logistics to media.

Lawmaker Mohammad Habib Hasan, Shamsul Arefin, managing director of Uttara Finance and Investments; Md Masudur Rahman Shah, deputy managing director of First Security Islami Bank; Mahbub ur Rahman Lucky, chief executive officer of Southeast Sweaters Ltd, also spoke at the function with Golam Rahman in the chair.