Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) (https://www.bg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Abbreviation	BGMEA
Formation	1983
Headquarters	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Region served	Bangladesh
Leader title	President

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association is a trade association representing ready-made garment exporters based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established amid industrial expansion in the 1980s and has since been central to discussions involving Ready-made garment industry, Textile manufacturing, Export-oriented industrialization, International Labour Organization, and international buyers such as H&M, Zara, and Primark. The association engages with multilateral institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization on trade, compliance, and labor issues.

History

Founded in 1983 during a period influenced by policies similar to those of Export Processing Zones and inspired by examples from South Korea and Taiwan, the association grew alongside major exporters including Beximco Group, Square Group, and DBL Group. In the 1990s and 2000s it navigated global shifts marked by the end of the Multi Fibre Arrangement and integration with supply chains serving European Union and United States. After high-profile industrial incidents such as the Rana Plaza collapse and the Tazreen Fashions factory fire, the association engaged with initiatives tied to Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, and reform programs backed by the United States Department of Labor and the European Commission.

Organization and Governance

The association's governance comprises elected leadership including a President and executive committee, modeled on chambers such as the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and similar to federations like the Confederation of Indian Industry. Its secretariat operates from an office complex in Dhaka, coordinating with regional exporter groups, trade promotion bodies such as Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, and diplomatic missions including the Bangladesh Embassy, Washington, D.C. and High Commission of Bangladesh, London. The association interacts with multilateral donors like the Asian Development Bank and bilateral partners such as United Kingdom and United States trade delegations.

Membership and Industry Role

Membership spans large conglomerates and smaller manufacturers, including firms comparable to Anwar Group, Aarong suppliers, and vertically integrated producers akin to Khulna Shipyard-linked enterprises. The association represents exporters to markets such as the European Union, United States, Japan, Canada, and emerging partners like China and India. It liaises with buyer groups including Gap Inc., Inditex, and Mango and coordinates with services providers such as SGS and Bureau Veritas on testing and compliance.

Activities and Services

Activities include advocacy before legislative and regulatory bodies such as the National Board of Revenue, training programs with institutions like Bangladesh University of Textiles, and market development missions to trade fairs including MAGIC (trade show), Première Vision, and CPM (fashion trade fair). The association provides services covering export documentation to entities such as Chittagong Port Authority, quality assurance aligned with standards from International Organization for Standardization, and coordination with logistics firms akin to Maersk and DP World. It also organizes forums with international retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Decathlon.

Labor, Safety, and Compliance Initiatives

Following tragedies such as the Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashions factory fire, the association participated in remediation and compliance schemes alongside the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, engaging inspectors from organizations like Bureau Veritas and Intertek. It has worked with labor-focused NGOs such as Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies and international groups like Human Rights Watch and Clean Clothes Campaign on collective bargaining, factory safety retrofits, and worker training programs influenced by ILO Convention No. 98 and ILO Convention No. 87-related dialogues. The association also coordinates with government ministries including the Ministry of Labour and Employment for compliance with national regulations and minimum wage determinations.

Economic Impact and Trade Relations

As a representative of an industry that supplies major brands such as H&M, Uniqlo, and Levi Strauss & Co., the association influences export earnings to fiscal systems administered by the National Board of Revenue and engages in trade negotiations affecting preferential schemes like the Generalized System of Preferences and ties with the European Union–Bangladesh trade relationship. The garment sector's role in employment mirrors patterns studied in cases like Vietnamese textile industry and Cambodian garment industry, affecting rural-to-urban migration around hubs such as Dhaka, Chittagong, and Gazipur. The association has been a stakeholder in initiatives funded by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to boost productivity, value addition, and backward linkages with polyester and cotton suppliers from India and China.

Criticisms and Controversies

Criticism has centered on issues raised by organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Clean Clothes Campaign regarding labor rights, safety enforcement, and dispute resolution processes similar to controversies in the Cambodian trade union movement and debates around Sweatshop practices. The association faced scrutiny over responses to the Rana Plaza collapse and the speed of remediation, drawing attention from international buyers such as Primark and Walmart. Allegations of governance shortcomings prompted comparisons with reforms implemented in sectors overseen by bodies like the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission and calls for greater transparency paralleling reforms in the Bangladesh Garment Industry Workers Federation and trade union federations.

Category:Trade associations