Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today opened the newly-constructed BGMEA Complex at Uttara, urging the garment owners to diversify their products and explore new markets to sustain the industry.

“We’ll have to sustain the garment industry as employments for a huge number of women have been created in the sector … its impact has reached up to the villages, improving the socioeconomic condition of the rural people,” she said while inaugurating the new BGMEA Complex through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence here this afternoon.

The prime minister said efforts will have to be made to bring new dimensions in design and colour of the products side by side exploring new markets.

“Progress has already been made in this regard. But we want progress be made further,” she said.

Mentioning that the government has adopted economic diplomacy, Sheikh Hasina said she has already asked Bangladesh missions abroad to find out new markets for Bangladeshi products.

“We’ve already held detailed discussions with officials of Bangladesh missions calling them in Dhaka and directed them to find out which products have high demand in which countries,” she said.

“After that discussion, we also put emphasis on producing and exporting those products and directed the entrepreneurs to establish such industries in the country,” she added.

Describing various welfare-oriented steps for the garment workers, the prime minister said their minimum wages have been hiked to Taka 8,000 from Taka 1,600 in 10 years.

“Besides, the government constructed a number of dormitories for the female workers and is providing financial assistance to them in the case of accidents,” she said.

About demolishing of the BGMEA Building at Hatirjheel, Sheikh Hasina said her government, during the 1996-2001 tenure, allocated land near Sonargaon Hotel for its construction.

“When I laid the foundation of the building at that time, I requested the authorities concerned time and again not to construct the building by stopping the Hatirjheel Canal,” she said.

“When we were not in state power after the 2001 elections, it is unfortunate that we saw the building was constructed on the canal … even a bridge was built to connect the building,” she added

Sheikh Hasina said the High Court later ordered to demolish the building that was constructed violating the laws regarding preservation of the water bodies.

The prime minister said her government has allotted a large plot to the BGMEA at Uttara in the greater interest of the RMG sector. “We don’t want any obstruction be made in the trade and commerce … our garment industry has already earned name and fame across the world,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh remains in the second position in the field of garment export in the world. “This sector is making huge contributions to our economy,” she said.

The prime minister said the businesspeople are now doing business smoothly as the government has created a favorable environment for them. “They don’t need to pay commission to the government like ‘Hawa Bhaban’ of the BNP-Jamaat regime,” she said

The premier thanked the BGMEA for the construction of an eye- catching five-storey new building with a two-tower 15-storey foundation.

Sheikh Hasina hoped that the foreign buyers would get more confidence witnessing various products at the display centre and very good environment in the multi-storied BGMEA Complex.

PM’s Private Sector Development Affairs Adviser Saman F Rahman, former BGMEA presidents Atiqul Islam, Abdus Salam Murshedi, MP, and Anwarul Alam Parvez were present on the dais at Ganabhaban.

BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman and other leaders joined the videoconference and spoke from new BGMEA Complex at Uttara, while PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan moderated the videoconference from Ganabhaban.