The apex garment makers’ body, BGMEA, and the transporters recently called for strengthening the vigilance on the all-important Dhaka-Chittagong Highway by the law enforcing agencies, to prevent incidents of RMG export goods being stolen even as reports underline that this has emerged as a fresh challenge for the apparel exporters, already in a tight spot due to the fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as industry insiders, reportedly, maintained that incidents of theft have gone up in the last three to four months while adding that around 10-50 per cent of RMG goods that a truck or covered van carries are being stolen and, which is detected only after products reach the buyers, thereby putting exporters in an embarrassing situation while also losing credibility to the buyers.
Media reports maintained this adding that on 18 March, around 15,178 pieces of garment items worth US $ 83,000 were stolen from a Chittagong-bound vehicle of a knitwear exporter in Narayanganj, which was meant to be shipped to USA even as five days later, another 10,000 and 20,100 pieces of apparel items amounting to around US $ 80,000 of the same exporter and meant to be shipped to Italy and Germany, were, reportedly, stolen from two different cargo vans on the highway and, similarly, on 5 May, around 6,000 pieces of apparel products belonging to an exporter inside Adamjee EPZ, 9,270 pieces of apparels of an exporter in Gazipur and around 3,000 pieces garments of an exporter in Ashulia were, reportedly, also stolen.
Against the backdrop of the same, the BGMEA recently met with the Home Ministry officials seeking measures to stop the stealing of RMG goods during transportation.
