In view of the reported large-scale order cancellations by the global buyers in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak that has put the apparel exporters of Bangladesh in a precarious position, the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA) has requested the Government to form a high-powered readymade garment cell in order to address local and international problems accordingly.
“It is uncertain whether the EU and the US buyers will accept delivery of the products which have already reached their ports or are at sea. The value of already shipped readymade garment products that are at sea or at ports would be more than US $ 2.5 billion. Many of the buyers were not accepting delivery of the goods saying that they would receive them once the lockdown was withdrawn,” maintained the President of BGBA, Kazi Iftaquer Hossain, who has sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Principle Secretary recently proposing formation of the cell.
The BGBA President proposed the formation of the cell – comprising officials of trade bodies, Bangladesh Bank representatives as well as those from Commerce Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry, Jute and Textiles Ministry and Customs – to look into and sort out the issues that have risen due to the global Coronavirus outbreak.
