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Batexpo-2003 begins Monday

BGMEA expects more buyers from Canada, Australia this year

UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) holds its biggest apparel exposition here October 20-22 as the organisers yesterday predicted they would be able to attract more foreign buyers this year.
"We're expecting more foreign buyers at Batexpo-2003, particularly big numbers from Canada and Australia which granted duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to their markets," BGMEA President Quazi Moniruzzaman told members of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB) yesterday afternoon.
Asked about the fate of garment sector after the expiry of the quota regime after December 2004, Moniruzzaman said, " Obviously it's a crucial time and great concern for us... After the collapse of Cancun, it has been further cloudy. We're working on it to find how to cope with
the new situation."
He thought that small and medium-scale garment industries may face some problems, but "we're negotiating with different international bodies, including CIDA and EU, to overcome the situation."
In reply to a question the BGMEA president said, " Maybe, we're lagging behind China and India, but if we get policy support and measures from the government, we will not be out of business."
He said Bangladesh reached a position among top 10 suppliers in the EU and USA at the rate of 20 per cent growth per year.
About setting up of backwardlinkage industries, he said the garment sector did not get adequate response from the government and there had not been sufficient investment from the state-owned or private banks in the textile sector.
Moniruzzaman said there are some backward-linkage industries for knit and woven garments and sweater, but it is not what is
required.
Asked about Bangladesh's strong plea for duty-free access of Bangladeshi products, including RMG, to American market he said they were pursuing it at different levels of the US administration, including the US Trade Representative, to get it approved.
The Bangladeshi caucus that includes one US Senator will be visiting Dhaka in January next year, when he said this issue would be discussed again.
Presently, the business leader said, 40 per cent of total garment exports worth nearly US$ 5 billion in 20 categories go to US market.
Asked if Dhaka's plea for dutyfree access is tied up with any American interests in Bangladesh, he said it's not like tying up, but obviously US companies have interests in exporting gas and setting up ports in Bangladesh.
On law-and-order situation, the BGMEA president is it is "disturbing for us" and they took up the matter
with the home minister and even the prime minister.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will inaugurate the Batexpo-2003 at Hotel Sonargaon on October 20 (Monday) while Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina attend the closing ceremony as chief guest on October 22.
During the 3-day exposition, four seminars will be organised on "Professional Management in the Garment Industry", " Use of Enterprise Resource Planning in the Garment Industry, " Free Economy and Outlook of Political Parties", and " Economy of Compliance in the Garment Industry".
Two fashion-shows and cultural programmes will be held on October 20 and 21 marking the 14th Batexpo.
BGMEA leaders Mohsin Uddin Ahmed (Niru), Jinnat Ali Mia and Ferdous Amin were present at the briefing at their office.