Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine January Issue 2019 | Page 42

NEWS DIGEST - 2018
The new minimum wage for the workers took a further step towards
materialisation after the Government published a gazette fixing the minimum
monthly wage of a worker at Taka 8,000…There will be seven grades for
garment factory workers and four for other employees... Labour (Amendment)
< < Bangladesh
Bill 2018…
< < BGMEA election schedule to be declared in January ’19 Being lambasted for long by global bodies for alleged
inadequacies in labour laws, Bangladesh amended
its labour laws in ’18 making them robust and more
inclusive.
As we ring in a brand new year, it is the turn of the new board to take over the
reins of the apex apparel manufacturers’ body.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
is going to announce the schedule for the election of the executive committee
in January 2019… As per the rules, the BGMEA reportedly will have to form
an electoral board 90 days before the end of a term and declare the schedule
80 days before the term expires.
The Parliament of Bangladesh on Wednesday passed
the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2018 by voice
vote. The bill that has been prepared and updated
following the observations of ILO to ensure the same
is a labour-friendly one, and was reportedly moved by
State Minister for Labour and Employment (Independent
Charge) Md. Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
“We will declare the schedule on time.”  
– Md. Siddiqur Rahman, President, BGMEA
apparel export to India sees 300 per cent
< < Bangladesh’s
growth in Nov ’18
Bangladesh’s efforts for market diversification are paying off with its apparel
exports to the neighbouring country growing by leaps and bounds.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to India saw a big surge in November, witnessing
a growth of over 300 per cent during July-November 2018. According to latest
data provided by Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau, the total apparel
exports during the said period stood at over US $ 232 million, what was 332
per cent gain during the first five months of fiscal 2017-18.
“India is a huge market. We are expecting that these figures will
rise more in the coming future.” 
– Mohammed Nasir, Vice President (Finance), BGMEA
seeks GSP Plus from the EU post 2027;
< < Bangladesh
Bangladesh President bats for continuation of
preferential treatment to graduating LDCs
The issue of graduating into a developing nation is emerging as a potent
challenge for the industry, though the Government is trying hard to minimise
the economic impact.
Bangladesh has sought GSP Plus facility from the European Union, the biggest
destination for Bangladesh’s exports, especially for apparel items after 2027.
Duty-free access was the top agenda of the recently held ‘4th European
Union-Bangladesh Business Climate Dialogue’ in Dhaka.
“Bangladesh will graduate from LDC status in 2024 and the
European Union will continue its GSP for Bangladesh until 2027.
We have urged them to give GSP Plus to Bangladesh after 2027.” 
– Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Minister
42 Apparel Online Bangladesh | January 2019 | www.apparelresources.com
hikes cash incentive for
< < Bangladesh
apparel exports to new markets by
one per cent
With non-traditional destinations gaining importance for
apparel exports, Government steps in to increase export
to new markets.
“In what may be termed as an effort to popularise non-
traditional and new export destinations amongst the
apparel exporters, the Bangladesh Government recently
increased the incentive for RMG export to markets
by 4 per cent from the earlier 3 per cent, for markets
other than the US, Canada and the European Union, for
financial year 2018-19.” – Md. Mujibul Haque Chunnu
Simply increasing production cannot increase export
earnings. You need markets to export to. That is why the
Government has taken this decision to help explore new
markets.
highlights Bangladesh’s gain
< < Study
from ongoing US-China trade war
Bangladesh is emerging as a gainer from the knock-on
effects of US-China trade war.
The trade war between the United States and China
has emerged as a blessing for the Bangladesh garment
industry, which is reportedly witnessing increased work
orders from both the countries, underlined a recent
study.
Many buyers are coming back to Bangladesh and the
country’s share in the American garment market has
increased 6.46 per cent in the first nine months of the year.