Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine May Issue 2019 | 页面 14

LEAD STORY
Up close with new BGMEA
President Dr. Rubana Huq
Dr. Rubana Huq shares her roadmap with AOB; details out efforts and steps to tackle
all burning issues facing the industry
The much-awaited elections for the office-bearers of
Bangladesh’s apex garment manufacturers’ body, the
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA), was held sometime back.
President and Managing Director of Mohammadi
Group, Dr. Rubana Huq (who is also the wife of Late
Annisul Huq, ex BGMEA President and Mayor of
Dhaka North City Corporation), took over as the new
President of BGMEA. A multi-faceted personality,
Rubana is the first woman chief of BGMEA, and has
taken over charge at a time when the industry is going
through a very crucial phase.
If on one hand there has been a significant rise in
workers’ wages, on the other the industry is facing
long-standing challenges of falling profit margins,
infrastructural bottlenecks, image crisis, rising
overheads, declining price points, recurrent increase
in gas price, etc. Add to these the lingering concern
of remediation and workplace safety with Accord on
Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh approaching
the judiciary in a last ditch effort to ensure its stay
in Bangladesh while global brands and retailers
associated with it allegedly mulling alternative sourcing
options in case Accord has to make an exit.
‘I
am here to change, not follow…’,
Dr. Rubana Huq’s statement,
speaking to AOB exclusively, sums
up her character and vision for the
industry!
First woman President she could be
of the apex apparel manufacturers’
body, she isn’t here to be labelled
just as a woman chief but rather
be considered an educated woman
leader, whose conviction to change
comes from her knowledge and
strong belief system. It’s not every
day after all one would come across a
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) donning
the hat of BGMEA President.
“My thesis paper was on post-
partition English Literature with
special emphasis on poetry. I got
my PhD degree last December from
Apparel Online Bangladesh (AOB) caught up with
Rubana and one of the new Directors, Miran Ali, to
know how BGMEA is planning to steer the industry
out of the troubled waters and give it a new direction,
more so when the goal of US $ 50 billion in apparel
exports by 2021 is looming large.
In the lead story of this issue, we present to you the
roadmap of the new BGMEA President as shared with
us, Miran Ali’s candid observations on the future of
the industry and how Rubana could be the deciding
factor in building a positive image of Bangladesh in
the global arena. Effort has also been made to gauge
the industry’s sentiments on the contentious issue of
fair pricing that has emerged as a bone of contention
between the buyers and the suppliers…
Dr. Rubana Huq, President, BGMEA
14 Apparel Online Bangladesh | MAY 2019 | www.apparelresources.com
Jadavpur University (Kolkata)…,”
says a beaming Rubana, well aware
of the fact that some detractor
somewhere is anticipating a
damp squib from the new BGMEA
President, which she won’t allow to
happen. What’s more, she isn’t going
to stretch her tenure of two years
further to achieve her goals either.
That’s the confidence one should
have…
“For me it is going to be a huge battle
but I am going to do it…,” says a
confident Rubana while unveiling her
roadmap that encompasses six key
areas, namely brand building, price
negotiations, markets & policies,
productivity, sustainability and
innovation, to take the industry to
new heights.