Prime Minister inaugurates garments export fair BATEXPO

She urged the garment manufacturers to be sincere in applying modern technology to improve quality and production management to the highest level.

Sheikh Hasina said labour intensive garment sector is very important to our economy. The industry has empowered our rural women, reduced poverty, contributed to improve woman and child health and created scope for education of their kids.

She said the Awami League government in its first spell in 1996, made the provision of stairs compulsory in all garment factories. The factories have build up their own firefighting capacity. Side by side, the Fire Service and Civil Defence has been strengthened across the country with many new and modern acquisitions.

Turning to the responsibilities of the factory owners, the PM said the owners must think about their workers. "If you wear one or two suit or tie less, it won't bring any harm for you. But if your workers can eat properly then they'll work with dedication for your factory and it will bring good for you also."

She underscored the need to turn Bangladesh into the number one readymade garment exporting country by 2021 taking short-, mid- and long- term plans.

Hasina said new markets should be explored along with setting up of forward and backward linkage industries to this end.

The PM paid her rich tributes to the garment workers who died in many fire and building collapse incidents across the country including the Rana Plaza collapse and conveyed her sympathy to the injured workers and prayed for their early recovery

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)