Bangladesh’s apparel exporters are calling on foreign buyers to adopt fair pricing policies in light of escalating production costs. Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), emphasised the need for foreign brands to support suppliers through equitable costing practices and to uphold human rights due diligence at the factory level during a seminar held in Dhaka on December 18.
The seminar, titled Human Rights Due Diligence, was organised by the Europe-based Fair Wear Foundation at a hotel in Gulshan. Ehsan, who also serves as the CEO of Fatullah Apparels, a prominent US-GBS-certified green factory, highlighted the importance of fostering ethical business relationships. He urged brands to refine their policies and purchasing practices to reflect these values.
“Once suppliers adopt better practices that incur higher costs, they must maintain those standards even if order volumes decrease or are withdrawn,” Ehsan noted. He stressed that mutual commitment and cooperation are essential for sustainable business policies and effective supply chain management.
The seminar was part of the Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change project and saw participation from representatives of six European member brands — Stanley & Stella, B&C, TAKKO Fashion, Solo Invest, s’Olive, and ZEEMAN — alongside 12 supplier representatives.
Following the seminar, Bablur Rahman, country manager of Fair Wear Foundation, shared insights from supplier representatives who voiced their concerns over fair pricing, pointing out that despite a significant increase in production costs, apparel prices have either stagnated or decreased. He noted that brand representatives recognized these challenges and expressed their commitment to finding collaborative solutions.
Mohiddin Rubel, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, highlighted that apparel entrepreneurs in Bangladesh have faced mounting production costs over the past two years due to rising energy prices and the implementation of a new wage board for workers, among other factors. “While production costs have surged by about 50 per cent, product prices in some markets have dropped by approximately 5 per cent,” he explained.
