Bangladesh has become a major source of inspiration for many countries as the nation has the most green garment factories worldwide, said a top official of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the authority that provides the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification.

Bangladesh now boasts 209 factories with LEED certificates. Of them, 79 are rated platinum, 116 gold, 10 silver and the rest green.

The world's highest rated green building, SM Sourcing, which scored 106 out of 110 points, is also located in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is also the leader in LEED-certified garment factories, with 54 of the top 100 and 18 of the top 20 green factories located in the country.

Bangladesh's achievement in the green building segment is not only discussed in Southeast Asia and South Asia, but also often discussed in the western world, said Santanu Dutta Gupta, USGBC Faculty and Associate Director - Market Development from Green Building Council Institute (GBCI).

Gupta came to Dhaka to hand over a LEED certificate to SM Sourcing at an event at its office in the capital's Dhanmondi.

The USGBC senior official also said Vietnam Govt officials , one of Bangladesh's direct competitor nations in the global garment trade, called him to inquire about Bangladesh's achievement in the green garment segment.

Becoming the global champion in green garment factories has brightened the image of the country and the sector, with international clothing retailers and brands placing high volumes of work orders, costing other countries business.

Since then, Gupta has been working to set up green garment factories in Vietnam, and now Vietnam is also developing a good number of green garment factories, he said at the certificate handover ceremony.

Gupta also said obtaining 106 out of 110 points is a unique instance in the world and itself is a statement. He stressed that the spirit should be maintained.

Mirza Shams Mahmud Shakti, chief executive officer of SM Sourcing, located at Konabari in Gazipur, said the company was formed in 2013 through a buying house. In 2017, he started setting up a factory.

He now has three projects and employs 5,000 workers, 900 of whom work at SM Sourcing.

The monthly turnover from his projects annually is $70-72 million while his customer base includes retailers and brands from the US, Europe, and Asia.

Buyers are not paying premium prices for green initiatives, but customers give such products priority and it is also a big marketing tool.

"LEED is not just a certificate, it is the most effective business management system if we understand and follow it. The benefits are significant and cannot be ignored," said Ananta Ahmed, International Green Building Expert, LEED AP, USGBC Faculty and the Principal LEED Consultant of 360 TSL.

SM Sourcing is the shining example, he added.

"If we understand LEED Green Building Concepts, cost is not an issue. If we analyse the costs and benefits in a meaningful way, we will see it costs less than regular buildings," he added.