Bangladesh, Indonesia can benefit from bilateral trade: BGMEA president

Enhanced bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and Indonesia can pave the way for mutually beneficial trade, especially in the apparel sector, said Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President, Faruque Hassan.

"There are huge prospects for trade between the two South Asian countries. Collaborative engagement is needed to identify and tap opportunities," he said, addressing a discussion programme on Monday.

The BGMEA and the Indonesian textile industry trade body, Asosiasi Pertekstilan Indonesia (API), jointly organised the event on a virtual platform.

Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Heru Hartanto Subolo, API Chairman Jemmy Kartiwa Sastraatmaja, and its Chairwoman, Anne P Sutanto, and other apparel business leaders from the two countries took part in the discussion. 

Faruque Hassan said Bangladesh was pursuing the next level of growth through diversification of products in its export basket, especially with high-end non-cotton apparel items and technical textiles since the "demand for man-made fibres and fabricshas been on the rise."

Indonesian textile mills could meet the demand for these fabrics, he said, and also urged Indonesia to import more ready-made garment items from Bangladesh.

The BGMEA president stressed identifying and removing barriers in the path of bilateral trade.