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| BGMEA | |
|---|---|
| Name | BGMEA |
| Type | Trade association |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Region served | Bangladesh |
| Membership | Garment manufacturers and exporters |
| Leader title | President |
BGMEA is the principal association representing garment manufacturers and exporters based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It serves as a central nexus between major apparel producers, international buyers, supply-chain financiers, and regulatory institutions in Dhaka and Chittagong. The association plays a pivotal role in interactions with foreign trading partners such as European Union, United States, China, India, and multinational retailers including H&M, Zara (Inditex), Gap Inc., Walmart, and Primark.
The organization was founded amid the rapid expansion of the ready-made garment sector in the 1980s, alongside contemporaries such as Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency-supported initiatives and projects by World Bank technical assistance programs. Early decades saw engagement with bilateral partners like Japan International Cooperation Agency and multilateral forums such as International Labour Organization and United Nations Development Programme. Landmark events that influenced the association’s evolution include trade negotiations under the Multi Fibre Arrangement and its phase-out under World Trade Organization regulations, as well as preferential access frameworks like the Everything but Arms initiative and Generalized System of Preferences dialogues. The organization has interacted with diplomatic missions including the British High Commission, Dhaka, the United States Embassy, Dhaka, and trade delegations from Germany, France, Netherlands, Canada, and Australia.
The association’s governance includes an elected executive committee and specialized committees that coordinate with institutions such as the Bangladesh Bank, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, and the Export Promotion Bureau (Bangladesh). Its leadership liaises with parliamentary committees in the Jatiya Sangsad and with ministries including the Ministry of Commerce (Bangladesh), Ministry of Labour and Employment (Bangladesh), and Ministry of Textiles and Jute. The organizational offices interact with trade promotion bodies such as Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and international bodies like International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank. Regional coordination occurs with port authorities including Chittagong Port Authority and logistics firms linked to Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Membership spans hundreds of manufacturers and exporters supplying to brands such as Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, Inc., Adidas, Uniqlo (Fast Retailing), Mango (company), and ASOS plc. The association works with textile producers, dyeing units, and ancillary service providers connected to corporations like Sintex and Viyellatex Group, while interfacing with certification bodies including OEKO-TEX, Global Organic Textile Standard, SA8000, and ISO auditors. It supports market access through participation in fairs like Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition and international exhibitions including MAGIC Las Vegas, Première Vision, and Texworld Paris.
The body engages in policy dialogues with international institutions such as International Monetary Fund and trade negotiators from European Commission and United States Trade Representative. It has sought tariff and quota outcomes under regimes influenced by Agreement on Textiles and Clothing and advocated in forums involving World Trade Organization dispute settlement actors. The association coordinates with buyer-led initiatives such as the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and has engaged consultants from firms like McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group on supply-chain competitiveness. It has also participated in bilateral trade missions involving delegations from China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Confederation of Indian Industry.
Following major industrial incidents, the association worked alongside stakeholders including International Labour Organization, ILO, the Accord signatories, and inspection bodies such as RINA and Bureau Veritas to implement factory remediation, fire safety upgrades, and structural assessments. Programs linked to audit regimes involve collaboration with buyer compliance teams from PVH Corp. and Kering and with certification schemes like WRAP and BSCI. The association has coordinated training with institutions such as BRAC and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology for workplace safety and emergency preparedness.
The association represents a sector that accounts for substantial shares of export earnings to markets such as United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Its members contribute to employment generation affecting urban centers including Dhaka, Chittagong, and Gazipur District, and to backward linkages with sectors represented by companies like Square Textiles and Beximco Textiles. The industry’s performance is tied to currency policies by Bangladesh Bank, trade financing from institutions such as Standard Chartered and HSBC, and logistics handled by carriers including CMA CGM.
The association has faced scrutiny over labor rights, working conditions, and responses to disasters such as the Rana Plaza collapse. Criticisms include debates over transparency, collective bargaining involving unions like Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation and National Garment Workers Federation, and handling of compliance timelines under accords like the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. It has been involved in tensions with international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and local advocacy groups including Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity and Akhteruzzaman Foundation (example organizations), while legal and regulatory disputes have engaged bodies like the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and investigative commissions.