Photo : Collected
President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Faruque Hassan has sought the support of the Bangladesh embassy in Italy to promote bilateral trade and investment.
He sought support especially to attract investments from Italy in the promising industrial sectors of Bangladesh. This came when he paid a courtesy call on Monirul Islam, ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy, at the Bangladesh embassy in Rome.
Embassy officials, including Economic Counsellor Md Al Amin and First Secretary (Labour) Ashif Anam Siddique, were also present in the meeting, said a press release.
The discussion centred around the significant trade and investment opportunities between Bangladesh and Italy, with a particular focus on increasing Bangladeshi garment exports to Italy, especially high-value fashion products.
Faruque provided an overview of Bangladesh apparel industry's current state, future potential, and vision. He highlighted the industry's growing shift from basic to high-end products, particularly the fashion items based on man-made fibres and technical textiles.
Since the demand for high-end garments is significant in the Italian market, there is a considerable opportunity for Bangladesh to export such goods to Italy.
The BGMEA president emphasised the potential investment sectors for Italian investors, including non-cotton textiles, food and agro-processing, IT, light engineering, leather, and shipbuilding.
He also requested the embassy's assistance in attracting Italian apparel buyers who do not source from Bangladesh. Highlighting the direct flight between Dhaka and Rome, Faruque emphasised its significance in enhancing business communication.
The BGMEA chief urged the envoy to streamline consular services and simplify the visa obtaining process for businessmen, with the aim of fostering increased business interactions.
Faruque also urged the ambassador to facilitate collaboration between BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) and fashion institutes in Italy to enhance the skills of BUFT students.
Messenger/Fameema
