One-fourth of the BGMEA members, large in size, accounted for a major share of the country's total readymade garment exports and employment, industry people say.
Some 351 large units of the trade group alone earned US$12.29 billion or 63 per cent of its members' total earnings in the last fiscal, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
About 1,334 registered factories are active and they logged US$19.32 billion in export proceeds during the fiscal year of 2019-20.
Bangladesh fetched $27.94 billion from RMG exports in FY 2019-20.
The BGMEA categorised factories as large having more than 2,000 workforce, medium-sized with workers ranging 1,000 from 2,000 and small having less than 1,000 workers.
Besides, the large players created employment for 1.37 million workers, while some 2.2 million workers were employed by the BGMEA's 1,334 factories, according to the trade body data.
On the other hand, some 642 small factories exported US$ 2.83 billion and $4.19 billion were earned by 341 medium-sized factories.
According to industry insiders, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, a good number of large units have enhanced their capacity as renowned brands are placing orders to compliant factories.
Small units have been disappearing, especially after the Rana Plaza building collapse due to strict compliance requirements of buyers, while the coronavirus has worsened the situation.
Small factories are struggling to survive in the absence of sufficient work orders, they said.
The BGMEA said more than 400 of its member factories were closed during the pandemic.
When asked, BGMEA president Dr Rubana Huq said business consolidation has taken place across the globe.
"Some 351 factories contributed more than 50 per cent of our total RMG exports and it is quite natural," she argued.
Turnover is not the only indicator and value addition or retention is also the sign, she said, adding small units having less turnover might have better retention.
"Small is beautiful, but consolidation or restructure is also needed," Ms Huq said.
According to a digital platform Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB), a total of 3,223 export-oriented garment factories, located in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram, are in operation.
MiB covers all export-oriented RMG factories operating in Bangladesh, a directory with essential factory data, including name, location, workers' number, exportable goods, export destinations and the name of global buyers.
Out of 3,223 export-oriented RMG factories, some 1,886 are registered with the BGMEA, 512 are members of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and some 251 units have memberships with both trade bodies.
On the other hand, a total of 574 RMG factories are neither members of the BGMEA, nor registered with the BKMEA, said MiB.
According to MiB, BGMEA members created employment for about 2.18 million people while 0.60 million are employed in the BKMEA-listed factories.
