Mr Murshedy, it is an opportunity to compere Face2Face talk with you. You are a known figure for textile and garment verticals. However, knowing about your fame in football sports too makes me curious to ask you to relate your Sportmanship to Enterpreneurship?
I am proud to be a sportsman first. I strongly believe my sportsman character has played a prominent role in today’s success as an entrepreneur. During the tenure of my sportsman career, with the name and fame as one of the best national soccer player, I have come into close contact with number of leading businessmen of the country patronizing the sports. I got inspired with and thereafter started my career as a businessman with my partner who is also a diehard patron of sports. Still I am closely related with sports and contributing as much as possible for upliftment and wellbeing of sports of the country.
That’s interesting. Also having spent years being associated to textile and clothing industry longly, how would you like to narrate happenings therein globally?
Worldwide economic recession, very specifically in USA and EU countries, should have direct impact on our textile and clothing industries. USA and EU countries still have unemployment problem. We have seen the cotton market reach at its high. For all these, alongside, very recent tsunami in Japan certainly caused shrinkage in world market. Despite of all those negative situations our textile and clothing industries marked significant 42% growth in this fiscal year over the last year. This has become possible only for relentless efforts and proper steps of the government and the entrepreneurs together. A total export in textile and clothing industry in this fiscal year is about 18 billion USD.
The performance is definitely noticeable. And, your contribution as former President of BGMEA for around 20 successful years can not be overlooked. So please help us assign all the geographical as well as non-geographical determinants that worked behind?
During my tenure as BGMEA President, alongwith serious global economic recession we faced and still facing shortage of infrastructure facilities in Power, Ports etc. Labour unrest and implementation of new national pay scale deteriorates the position further. Moreover, because of worldwide recession the prices have also dropped significantly. The entrepreneurs have successfully overcome and addressed the above situation, and maintained the buyer’s commitment properly by making the shipment by air also even at a loss of the consignment. This way entrepreneur of this part has earned the confidence of the buyer.
And, where does Envoy Group become envy of its myriad contenders?
Envoy Group has started its journey in 1984 with one Garment unit with more or less 300 workers. Now the Group has 14 Garment units with more than 15,000 workers. Besides RMG Sector, the Group has expanded in Textiles, Real Estate & Developer, IT Technology, International Trading, Freight Forwarding, Hotel, Banking & Financial Institutions. The management believes in corporate culture, maintains business ethics and performing social responsibilities. All these achievements make Envoy Group different from others.
For our million plus visitors and members, we would also request you to please bring out noteworthy movements as well as fast facts in Bangladeshi denim segment.
Bangladesh is traditionally known for its capability in garment manufacturing. Bangladesh consumes approx 375 million yards per annum. This was imported from countries like China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan to name a few. However, the Bangladeshi Denim manufacturing segment has seen a significant growth in the last 5 to 6 years. The growth is approx. 500%.The current local capacity is 180 million yards per annum. We expect this to increase by an additional 100 million yards in the next couple of years.
Textile industry in Bangladesh has also witnessed a vital trade talk between Commerce Ministers of India and Bangladesh. How will you comment on this event?
The recent visit of Commerce Minister of India was of course a very important step for development of trade in between the countries. The trade talk, we hope, will expand our opportunities and help to reduce huge trade gap in between the countries. Present trade gap is more than USD 2.00 billion. As a friend, neighbor and member of SAARC countries we expect more relaxation in exports from Bangladesh. In clothing sector India’s own demand is now more than USD 30.00 billion. Middle class in India is now one of the highest in the world. The demand is growing day by day. Bangladesh is the lone country to meet up the huge demand with reasonable cost. I think there should not be any restriction in this sector for our common interest.
In line to trade policies, Turkey has declared safe guard duty. How is it concerning you as a former voice of industry as well as present eminent exporter group?
Imposition of Safe Guard Duty by Turkey is of course a matter of concern. For Developed Countries the Safe Guard Duty is up to 40% and for Least Developed Countries the rate is up to 27%. It is a fact that Turkey is one of our major export destinations. However, we believe that imposition of SGD would have a little impact on our export because of our expertise & effort. We have developed our expertise to overcome the hurdles.
As an ending note, in gratitude for you valued inputs, may I request your word on Envoy's corporate identity in the context of social-environmental responsibility?
Envoy Group as one of the biggest corporate entities in Bangladesh especially in RMG & Textile Sectors plays an important role for economic development of the country and thereby to the society. Envoy Group always believes in maintaining and performing social responsibilities and business ethics. As a part of corporate culture, the Group provides every facility to the employees/workers as are embodied in the concerned laws and regulations from time to time. The Group is actively connected with various social welfare activities in the country.
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DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
