The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised daylong Bangladesh Apparel Summit at Melbourne in Australia on July 18 to widen the market of the locally produced apparel items in the Pacific region.

The BGMEA organised the summit in collaboration with the HSBC supported by the High Commission of Bangladesh to Australia, according to a statement from the Bangladeshi garment makers' platform today.

The summit brought together 130 participants from diverse range of stakeholders, including buyers, retailers, suppliers, consumers, development partners and Australian policymakers, creating an opportunity for fruitful discussions, meaningful interactions and the exchange of ideas and information.

At the summit, the speakers shared their insights through opening plenary and two panel discussions titled 'Trade between Australia and Bangladesh – Charting the path for next decade' and 'Sustainability matters – ESG collaborations to shape the future of fashion'.

In his keynote paper, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan highlighted the immense potential of Bangladesh and critical issues such as supply chain transparency, responsible sourcing, and ethical manufacturing practices.

Managing Director of Kmart Group Ian Bailey praised Bangladesh's transformation on social and environmental sides while stressed the need for leveraging industry level data and sharing information to steer supply chain efficiency and productivity.

He opined to upgrade the tier 2 and tier 3 factories in Bangladesh while continuing the ESG standards in tier 1 factories.

HSBC Australia CEO Antony Shaw praised the progresses Bangladesh has made in its industry and the overall infrastructure.

HSBC takes pride in being a partner of this transformation, he said and reiterated continued partnership with the south Asian country.