Leaders of the apparel and transport sectors on Monday called for beefed-up police patrols to check theft of readymade garment (RMG) goods during transportation.
At the same time, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association underscored the need for concerted efforts of exporters, transport owners, police administration and other parties concerned to this end.
The call came from a meeting held between the two associations at BGMEA Complex in Dhaka in the city, said a statement.
BGMEA president Faruque Hassan and vice president Md. Shahidullah Azim, Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Owners Association president Tofazzal Hossain Majumder, executive president Syed Md. Bakhtiar, general secretary Rustom Ali Khan, among others, were present at the meeting.
They sat together to discuss ways and measures to stop stealing of exportable RMG goods on the Dhaka-Chattagram highway, it added.
Apart from financial losses, such thefts put exporters in an embarrassing situation when such cases are detected after the buyers receive the shipment, they said.
They asked all the garment factories to keep the photos of drivers, helpers and travel documents, including licences of trucks and covered vans, as a precautionary measure.
The BGMEA leaders also suggested using GPS tracker in all goods-laden cargo vans as a step to prevent stealing of goods.
BGMEA president Mr Hassan said the RMG industry of Bangladesh has earned global reputation as the safest and greenest industry in the world, and this reputation must be kept intact through joint efforts.