Search Results for: Bangladesh

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

WINNERS

Bangladesh

Despite its well-trailed labour and environmental problems, analysts still backed Bangladesh as having the potential to become a long term apparel sourcing hotspot. Indeed, ready-made garment exports could triple within a decade, as buyers move sourcing away from China, according to research by McKinsey & Company.…

BY POORNA RODRIGO

Bangladesh has scrapped 203 ships so far this year, making it the largest number ever in the history of its thriving ship breaking industry, the Bangladesh Ship Breaker’s Association (BSBA) secretary Nazmul Islam has told Steel First.

In 2010 Bangladesh scrapped only 75 ships, and the number improved to 145 in 2011 before it shot up to 203 in this year so far.…

BY MARIANI DEWI

BRANCH campuses of established western universities can be major prizes for emerging market higher education systems – but attracting these institutions is not easy, even for economically dynamic countries such as Malaysia.

There are still only six branch campuses in this south-east Asian country.…

BY POORNA RODRIGO

BANGLADESH’S state minister for labour has told just-style an immediate pay hike for garment sector workers is not possible despite employees’ demand for 30% increase. "At least there should be a gap of three years between two wage reviews.…

BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA

THE NEW vice-chancellor of Bangladesh’s Asian University for Women (AUW) has told University World News how she plans to help her institution move forward after management disputes sparked negative publicity. Fahima Aziz was appointed four months ago and is focusing on securing quality academics and attracting more students to the university’s temporary campus in Chittagong.…

BY POORNA RODRIGO

THE BANGLADESH Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) has told global clothing buyers to increase the "cutting and making" (CM) prices of garments so local manufacturers can afford higher wages to workers.

Speaking to Knitting International, BKMEA president Salim Osman said this would help ease the labour problems currently harming the sector: "If buyers do not give higher prices or at least as expected, how would manufacturers cope with the matter of pay hikes?"…

BY POORNA RODRIGO

Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is waiting for a response from the Bangladesh labour ministry over its proposal of regular meetings about pay and working conditions between brand owners and garment workers.

"We expressed a desire that brands’ representatives and the ministry of labour should meet regularly to discuss current issues.…

BY POORNA RODRIGO

BANGLADESH is risking serious economic problems by concentrating so much on clothing exports, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has concluded in a report released ahead of a review of the country’s trade policies. "Exports remain highly concentrated both in terms of products and destinations, which carries some risk, with readymade-garment (RMG) exports to the EU and the US the current mainstay," it warns.…

BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA

A PILOT project of the World Bank’s private sector agency the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has kindled hope that Bangladesh’s burgeoning knitwear and garments industry could overcome its notorious environmental pollution problems at an affordable price. However, replicating the pilot’s innovative strategies across the industry in the country will not be easy: struggling with the challenges of sourcing environment friendly finance; securing power availability amidst irregular supplies; operating effective effluent treatment plants; and dealing with a lack of awareness amongst entrepreneurs.…

BY WANG FANGQING, IN SHANGHAI

Chinese textile and clothing manufacturers are expecting to struggle for business in the rest of 2012, with the worsening Euro crisis dampening demand in key export markets and improving sourcing rivals from neighbouring countries becoming increasingly competitive.…