Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Wednesday asked Aldi to explore further business prospects with Bangladeshi suppliers.
The trade body also urged the German-based international retailer to strengthen partnerships with the country’s suppliers to help build their capacity for manufacturing apparel products that have greater demand in the international market.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call when a delegation of Aldi paid a visit to him at the trade body’s Gulshan office in the capital.
Denise Hochreiter-Hamberger, Managing Director for Global Sourcing, Anke Ehlers, Managing Director for Corporate Responsibility International, Katharina Wortmann, Director Corporate Responsibility International, SM Nurul Azam, Director Corporate Responsibility, Md. HasanUz-Zaman, Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility, ALDI SOUTH Group BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali, and director Abdullah Hil Rakib, among others, were also present at the meeting.
"Bangladesh has earned global recognition and accolades for being a safe, sustainable and ethical hub for apparel sourcing," said Mr Hassan at the meeting.
“To retain its goodwill and competitiveness, the country’s RMG industry has prioritised product diversifications. It especially put more focus on non-cotton and high-end segment products, innovation in product development and process optimisation”, he added.
The BGMEA president requested the Aldi delegation to share inspiring stories with international stakeholders about Bangladesh’s RMG industry.
Aldi, with over 10,000 stores globally, has long been sourcing garments from Bangladesh.