A high-level meeting was held between the Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change to ensure sustainable development and
uninterrupted industrial growth of the ready-made garment sector. On June 24,
2026, a delegation led by BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan met with the
Honorable Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Abdul Awal
Mintoo, at the Bangladesh Secretariat. The meeting discussed in detail the
issue of harmonizing environmental compliance with the realities of the
ready-made garment and sustainable textile sector.
In addition to President Mahmud Hasan Khan, the BGMEA
delegation was also attended by former BTMEA President A Matin Chowdhury, BGMEA
Director Nafis-ud-Daulah and Kingsley CEO Md. Ashiqur Rahman.
In the meeting, the garment industry leaders reiterated
their commitment to ensuring a sustainable environment and highlighted several
regulatory complexities and obstacles. The main focus of the discussion was on
the technical challenges of the ‘Environmental Protection Rules, 2023’. The delegation
noted that the current ETP color parameters are technically very difficult to
achieve with the existing infrastructure. Therefore, they requested for setting
a realistic and science-based benchmark.
On the implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZID), the
BGMEA delegation proposed a phased and performance-based roadmap instead of the
current mandatory commitment for renewal of environmental clearances. At the
same time, they demanded the development of specific sustainability guidelines
for water conservation and recycling, financial incentives such as VAT/duty
exemption on ZLD equipment and the launch of a specialized “ZLD-window” under
the Green Transformation Fund of Bangladesh Bank.
In order to enhance administrative transparency, the
delegation suggested introducing a mirror testing mechanism for environmental
sampling and adopting a risk-based, long-term environmental clearance renewal
system for compliant factories on a systematic basis. It also urged for
expeditious formulation of rules under the ‘Forest Ordinance (2026)’ to remove
the uncertainty created by land use in industrial areas. The meeting also
highlighted the need for setting tolerance limits for fluctuations in
environmental parameters due to extreme weather conditions and a balanced air
quality assessment taking into account external sources of pollution.
Hon’ble Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo acknowledged the
important contribution of the readymade garment sector to the national economy
and positively accepted the proposals of the BGMEA. He assured that these
issues would be addressed through a rational and realistic framework, balancing
the business needs of the industry and the objective of environmental
conservation.
The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to create a
predictable and supportive regulatory environment for the green transformation
of the garment industry and its competitiveness in the global market.
