The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) today urged German retail company Otto Group for sourcing more high-value garment products from Bangladesh.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the plea at a meeting with the senior officials of the group held at the BGMEA's office at Uttara in Dhaka.

A delegation of Otto Group, including Sergio Bucher Rodriguez, member of the executive board for retail and brands at Otto Group; Heidi Sabina Stevens, CEO at the Otto International Hong Kong; Weronika Sosulska, key account manager of Team Bon Prix; Raksha Nanerjee, key account manager at Team Witt and Merchandising Otto Lascana, and Mehtap Mir, head of HR and workplace solutions, met Hassan at the BGMEA office.

Hassan stressed the need for strengthening partnerships with Otto's Bangladeshi suppliers to facilitate the design and manufacture of high-end apparel items.

The BGMEA chief also highlighted the advancements made in the workplace safety, environmental sustainability, circularity, and workers and welfare in the country's garment sector.

He also highlighted the industry's ongoing initiatives and efforts to diversity product offerings, with a particular focus on non-cotton and high-end product segments, as well as innovation in product development and process optimisation.