The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and ActionAid Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work as strategic partners in advancing the sustainable transformation of the country’s readymade garment industry.
According to a press release, the partnership aims to strengthen human rights and environmental due diligence, enhance compliance capacity, and improve the overall quality of life of garment workers. Under the agreement, ActionAid Bangladesh will support the implementation of BGMEA’s Sustainable Strategic Vision 2030 as a strategic partner.
The MoU was signed at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka, by BGMEA senior vice president Inamul Haq Khan and ActionAid Bangladesh country director Farah Kabir, representing their respective organisations.
As outlined in the agreement, key areas of collaboration include promoting women’s leadership within factories, ensuring decent working conditions, fostering harassment- and discrimination-free workplaces, and increasing workers’ awareness of their rights. The partners will also focus on reducing carbon emissions through the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, encouraging green industrialisation, and strengthening occupational health, mental well-being and access to social protection schemes for workers.
In addition, both organisations will work to enhance workforce skills and introduce specialised monitoring tools and training aligned with international standards, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The MoU also предусматривает closer coordination among factory owners, workers and buyers through regular reviews to promote transparency across the sector.
At the signing ceremony, BGMEA representatives stated that Bangladesh’s garment industry has evolved beyond its role as a production base and has emerged as a trusted global partner in sustainable and ethical business practices. They expressed confidence that collaboration with ActionAid Bangladesh would further strengthen human rights and environmental standards in factories and enhance the industry’s reputation and competitiveness in international markets.
ActionAid Bangladesh emphasised that the long-term sustainability of the garment sector depends on safeguarding workers’ rights alongside environmental responsibility. The organisation reiterated its commitment to building an inclusive ecosystem involving all stakeholders, with transparency and human rights at its core.
The MoU will remain in force for five years, from January 2026 to December 2030. Under the agreement, ActionAid Bangladesh will provide financial support for the implementation of joint initiatives, while BGMEA will facilitate infrastructure and logistical support across its member factories.
Several BGMEA office bearers and directors, along with senior officials from ActionAid Bangladesh, were present at the signing ceremony.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
