Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Wazir Advisors have signed an agreement for conducting a study to identify potential of non-cotton textile and apparel for Bangladesh in the global apparel market.

Another objective of the study titled “Fibre Diversification Study of Non-Cotton Textile and Apparel for Bangladesh in the Global Apparel Market” is to formulate a strategy to develop the country’s overall competitiveness and strength in the area.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan and Business Director of Wazir Advisors Varun Vaid inked the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations at a signing ceremony held virtually on Sunday.

The objective of the study is to identify potential scope of non-cotton textile and apparel for Bangladesh in the global apparel market and formulate a strategy to develop the country’s overall competitiveness and strength in the area.

It will also identify key challenges for Bangladesh to capture a significant pie of the non-cotton apparel market.

The study will analyze non-cotton product categories in terms of complexities, resources and trade volumes while economic, demand and sustainability rationale of non-cotton apparels will be looked upon.

Competitiveness in terms of products, technologies, skill, cost and availability of other resources will be assessed in the study which will also identify challenges that limit Bangladesh’s potential to supply non-cotton products.

It will develop a roadmap for manufacturers, investors, policymakers, development partners and other influencers, detailing approaches and ways to establish a strong presence in the non-cotton textile and apparel market.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said cotton has so far driven the country’s growth in the apparel sector.

But the growth of cotton-based products seems to have reached its peak, and there is little scope for growth through the natural fiber because the global fashion trend has drastically shifted from cotton to man-made fibres, he said.

“It is now time for us to tap into this segment, where I believe this study will play a crucial role,” said the BGMEA chief.

Business Director of Wazir Advisors Varun Vaid said global textile demand is rapidly moving towards manmade fibres.

With better functionality, price competitiveness and popularity of categories like sportswear and athleisure; manmade fibres are on a high growth path, he said.

“The global trade is also at a cusp of restructuring with China vacating trade shares. Bangladesh can leverage its manufacturing competitiveness and buyer relationship to capitalize these opportunities. But the key aspect will be to present itself as a diversified supplier across categories and fibres,” Vaid said.

BGMEA is right in taking cognizance of such trends and setting the direction for Bangladesh to diversify beyond cotton categories, he said.

With support of BGMEA, Wazir Advisors will develop a framework for the industry to identify & tap opportunities in non-cotton categories.

“The study will act as a guide for the policy makers. It will encompass learnings from global leaders, evolution of industry elsewhere, key enablers – investments, ecosystem, policies and partnerships,” Vaid said.

The study will be funded by IFC’s Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT II) program, supported by the government of Denmark through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh.