B’desh commerce minister Tofail Ahmed has announced that they are going to build a garment village in Chittagong, with an aim to increase apparel exports which is expected to touch $50 billion by 2021. Ahmed said the garment village in Chittagong would be on the lines of the hub currently being built at Bausia in Munshiganj. He was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Bangladesh Apparel and Safety Expo in Chittagong. However, there was no mention of when the garment hub will begin operations.

The Bausia garment village, is being developed by a Chinese firm at a cost of $2.3 billion. It has more than 200 factories from where Bangladesh expects to export goods worth $3 billion to $5 billion each year once the factories begin production. Ahmed urged retailers to pay better prices for apparel items sourced from Bangladesh as they receive some of the lowest price offers from them. He added as the industry’s future is bright, the $50 billion export target will not only be met, but will also exceed by 2021.

Nasiruddin Ahmed Chowdhury, former VP of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said by excluding development of the port city of Chittagong, it would not be possible to achieve the $50 billion export target. Chittagong is considered a gateway for Bangladeshi exports as more than 90 per cent of the country’s international trade is handled through this port.