Official apathy puts 'Garment Village' on the backburner

30 Jan '07

3 min read

According to the plan, the garment park, having all required infrastructure, will build infrastructures for 390 industrials units, of which 100 will have 28,000 square feet area each and the rest 22,000 square feet each.

Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury Arun, a former leader of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said, 'It is very unfortunate that the government has not been able to start implementing the project even after one year of declaration.'

'The delay is worrisome,' he fears that global buyers may shift their focus to other competitors which ensure maximum compliances, referring to dozens of modern textile parks undertaken recently by India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

After some deadly accidents in garment units in the city and surrounding areas during 2004 and 2005, and consequent pressures from right groups and overseas buyers, the government in December 2005 ventured on a garment park provides industrial compliances.

World Bank had also showed eagerness to fund the project. The then executive chairman of Board of Investment, Mahmudur Rahman, had told BGMEA leaders that the government and the WB would sign a deal to this effect by June 2006.

But no progress has been made so far as the Planning Commission has been sitting on the proposal for months, industry insiders said.

South Asia Logistics

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