A delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is on a four-day trade visit to the Netherlands to enhance bilateral trade relations and promote cooperation in circular textile initiatives.
Held from September 8 to 11 at the invitation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the visit is part of the ‘Circular Textile Trade Mission’ jointly coordinated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Dutch Embassy in Dhaka, and BGMEA. The initiative aims to close technological gaps and build strategic alliances that support the shift toward a more sustainable and circular textile industry.
The delegation is headed by BGMEA Vice President Vidya Amrit Khan, who also serves as the Deputy Managing Director of Desh Garments.
The trade mission carries particular importance for Bangladesh as its textile industry advances toward adopting global best practices in circularity and integrating innovative technologies to meet evolving sustainability standards.
The initiative also seeks to identify new prospects for business, investment, and technological collaboration in areas such as recycling, textile waste management, and advanced manufacturing, with the goal of accelerating the shift to a circular textile economy.
Bangladesh’s apparel sector, ranked as the second-largest globally, produces an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 tons of textile waste each year, according to BGMEA. Although this post-industrial waste, locally known as ‘jhut,’ has a significant potential for recycling, particularly its cotton-rich components, only a small portion is currently recycled. The majority is either exported or ends up in landfills and water bodies. The absence of a structured recycling system has led to environmental degradation and social challenges, including a largely informal labor market marked by unsafe and exploitative working conditions.
BGMEA said the initiative reflects its ‘Sustainability Vision 2030,’ which emphasizes circularity and reducing emissions. The mission serves as a strategic move toward establishing a formal and scalable textile recycling system that could not only reduce environmental harm but also open up new revenue opportunities and promote a more transparent and fair supply chain.
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