A delegation of 25 chief executive officers (CEOs) and founders of major African and central Asian textile, apparel, and footwear companies, accompanied by the representatives of prominent global brands, is now visiting Bangladesh on a two-day tour to encourage low carbon emission and share of knowledge in the sectors.

The delegation reached Bangladesh on June 18 when over 28 local garment manufactures hosted them, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said in a statement today.

Bangladesh is a leading garment production hub in the world which, before the Covid-19 pandemic, directly employed more than 4 million people, contributed about 8 per cent to the country's gross domestic product and accounted for more than 80 per cent of the country's export earnings, the IFC said.

The IFC has spearheaded an initiative to promote south-south cooperation, peer-learning, and joint ventures in the textile, apparel, and footwear sectors through an Africa-Asia roadshow.

With developing countries contributing the largest share in this rapidly growing segment, which is projected to reach $4.4 trillion by 2030 from $2.2 trillion in 2018, the roadshow aimed to facilitate meaningful cross-regional engagement, encourage low-carbon development, share know-how and technology and uplift communities.

The global manufacturing landscape is undergoing a significant realignment in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As this shift takes shape, developing countries are poised to benefit the most, the corporation said.

One of the participating CEOs, M René Silué, managing director of Compagnie Ivoirienne pour le Dévelopement des Textiles (CIDT) in Côte d'Ivoire, remarked: "This roadshow is a great opportunity for us at CIDT, to connect with our peers in South Asia, exchange insights, and explore possibilities for collaboration. We believe that by working together, we can create mutually beneficial relationships that will propel our businesses forward."

"We are thrilled to see a part of this roadshow as it helped us learn about the best practices of brands and factories in the ready-made garments industry. We hope to work together and foster our partnership in the future through effective collaborations," said Kamola Nabieva, main specialist of the UzTextileProm Association of the Uzbekistan.