The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged British retailer Primark for sourcing more value-added garment items from Bangladesh.

The association also demanded that Primark should step up for building strong partnerships with the local apparel suppliers.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the calls at a discussion with the high-ups of Primark on Monday, the local garment makers' platform said in a statement.

Paul Marchant, chief executive officer of the Primark, led the discussion held at the BGMEA office in Dhaka.