A half-day workshop aimed at strengthening green growth and resilience in the garments accessories and packaging sector was jointly organized by Swisscontact — a development organization based in Switzerland and Sweden — and the Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGAPMEA).
The event, held on Saturday morning (9 August) at Hotel Sheraton Dhaka in Banani, focused on two key initiatives: Promotion of Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector Through Skills (PROGRESS) and Initiative to Stimulate Private Investment for Resource Efficiency (InSPIRE). Both projects are funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Swisscontact.
Presiding over the workshop, Md. Shahriar, President of BGAPMEA, along with other key speakers, highlighted that the garments accessories and packaging sector not only serves the ready-made garments industry but also fulfills 100% of packaging demands for other export-oriented industries, including frozen food, footwear, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, and leather goods. They emphasized the urgent need for modernization, compliance, and competitive capacity building to prepare the sector for the future.
During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Swisscontact and BGAPMEA. The MoU was signed by Ms. Bidowara Tahmina Khan, Team Leader of the InSPIRE project, on behalf of Swisscontact, and Md. Shahriar, President of BGAPMEA.
The workshop was attended by BGAPMEA’s top officials, directors, former presidents and vice presidents, representatives from various member companies, development agency officials, and relevant industry stakeholders.
