The Dhaka Apparel Summit was held December 7 to 9, 2014.Eighty-five speakers from Bangladesh, the European Union, the USA and other countries shared their views at nine sessions at the summit. Nearly 25 of the speakers were top officials of different western retailers and brands.

Among the participants were brands, fashion designers, sourcing executives, workers’ representatives, civil society organisations, buyers and academics. Among the issues discussed were road communication, environmental sustainability, workplace safety and sustainable production, responsible sourcing and productivity enhancement, and workplace tranquility.

Bangladesh has a target of earning 50 billion dollars from garment exports by 2021 and the summit debated ways on achieving that.

Around 6,000 people took part in the summit and around 15,000 visited the expo on fire fighting equipment, which was held on the sidelines of the summit. Local and foreign firms showcased fire fighting equipment at 92 stalls.

Bangladesh plans to build a knitwear village. The government will allocate 1,000 acres of land for the new project. The government has already allocated 482 acres for a woven garment makers’ project. A Chinese firm is collaborating on this project. A center of excellence will also be launched for the country’s apparel industry. This will support member companies in their skill development programs and will guide them in giving market-responsive training. 

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