Staff correspondent :

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA) and Solidaridad Network Asia has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) at the BGMEA Complex in the capital’s Uttara area.

The objective of this collaboration is to combine the efforts on workers
wellbeing and reskilling, productivity enhancement, expedite the process of
building a digital platform for sustainability reporting, and achieving ESG
standards and international corporate due diligence towards reaching a
sustainable and green apparel sector, said a press release.

All of these will contribute to achieving BGMEA’s Sustainable Strategic
Vision: 2030.

The collaborative effort will inflect on skilling and re-skilling the factory
workers and mid-level managers on 4IR, green workplace and provide earnest
emphasis on women empowerment by designing and implementing supervisory skill
development trainings.

Both organizations will promote the adoption of improved energy efficiency
business model through developing and disseminating position paper and
through developing required capacity of BGMEA member factories via
consultation process.

Under this partnership, BGMEA and Solidaridad will implement knowledge and
capacities on implementing EU due diligence, particularly, Dutch and French
derivatives on due diligence.

Solidaridad will support BGMEA in creating a digital data platform to obtain
meaningful and reliable data from the BGMEA member factories on the ESG
issues to ensure more transparent and real time reporting.

The partnership will work together to prepare the Sustainability Report of
BGMEA enlisted factories in an updated platform for wider reach and
circulation.

The collaboration will also work on improving the capacities of the factories
on chemical management and incorporating the international chemical standards
(ZDHC) into the policies of apparel industries and management systems to
strengthen the reporting and monitoring mechanism of sustainability agenda
and achieving the BGMEA Sustainability Strategic Vision: 2030.

Overall, the partnership is expected to facilitate international trade and
business dialogues with the brands and international authorities to improve
productivity and increase trade and investment for Bangladesh apparel sector.

Shahidullah Azim, vice president of BGMEA and Selim Reza Hasan, the country
manager of Solidaridad Network Asia, signed the MoU at the BGMEA Complex in
presence of the directors and officials of both BGMEA and Solidaridad.

Azim said, “The RMG industry of Bangladesh has made its mark in the global
market as a safe and sustainable apparel sourcing destination,”

He said the BGMEA is committed to elevating the industry to a better position
in terms of safety, environmental sustainability and workers’ rights and
wellbeing in line with due diligence as we have envisioned in the BGMEA’s
Sustainability Strategic Vision 2030. “I hope this partnership will support
in achieve the industry’s vision.”

At the signing ceremony, Selim Reza Hasan, country manager of Solidaridad
Bangladesh mentioned that “The partnership between BGMEA and Solidaridad will
make a significant stride for improving the sustainability norms and
practices towards making the Bangladesh appeal industry more sustainable and
inclusive.

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