Garment accessories and packaging manufacturers in Bangladesh have sought policy support including low cost funds and incentives. As a backward linkage industry, this sector contributes $7.10 billion to the garment export earnings of the country.

The sector helps exporters reduce their lead time by providing accessories and packaging products in a short time. In addition to supplying packaging products to local exporters, the sector is also exporting products directly and has become self reliant.

Makers of garment accessories in Bangladesh are gearing up to meet the demand of the growing apparel sector. They are emphasising more on producing high-quality accessory items to establish this sector as an individual industry rather than a backward integration of the readymade garment industry.

About 100 new factories started operations last year in Bangladesh. Currently, around 1,700 factories are producing accessory items in the country. Bangladesh produces and exports accessories like woven labels, leather badges, stone and metal motifs, rubber patches, gum tapes, satin and cotton ribbon hangers, price tags, and buttons and zippers. In all, accessory makers and packagers supply 34 types of products. The sector contributes 15 to 20 per cent to net export earnings of the readymade garment sector.