Bangladesh’s next business is denim. With the huge demand from global retailers and brands, the country has established some 30 denim mills. These meeting 40 per cent of the demand for denim fabrics from garment makers. The remaining demand is met through imports, mainly from China, India, Turkey and Pakistan.

In fact, Bangladesh has overtaken China in denim supply to the EU countries because of quality products at competitive prices. High water consumption during denim manufacturing is a major concern. More than 270 liters of water are needed to make a kilogram of denim fabrics. Due to the focus on sustainability Bangladesh denim fabric makers have dramatically reduced water consumption over the last few years with the adoption of the latest technologies in production. The target is to reduce water consumption by 80 per cent in the denim making process.

Demand for denim is on the rise worldwide from both men and women. Almost 70 per cent of the population in the US wear denim products regularly. An average consumer owns seven denim products at any given time. In the UK each consumer owns an average of 17 denim garments. Annually 2.1 billion pieces of denim are sold globally. The denim sector is growing by 15 per cent year-on-year.