DIU Blog

Prospect of Textile Industries in Bangladesh

Official launch of fashion industry in independent Bangladesh in 1973. Because, this year, the fashion house Nipun was born. As such, the industry has gone through four and a half decades.

The designer’s collection is raising hopes. However, it is not that the fashion industry of Bangladesh has started with a plan. Nor did those who came in the beginning plan; Instead, Pearsons did not get the water he had planned. As such, the fashion industry of Bangladesh can be divided into three parts. One. Absolutely a hobby. But over time, that is likely to change. Two. Following the predecessors. Many of them are excited. Again many have come without planning. And three. Brands that have a foothold in the potential market with the right planning, utilizing the experience in the readymade garments sector.

This industry has played a special role in making the native cloth popular among the people of the country. Bangladesh’s fashion industry developed with the opposite features of the world’s fashion industry. Because, all over the world, clothing collection is seasonal, and here we are festive. And the rich do fashion all over the world. But in our country, this industry has taken the responsibility of making the middle class fashionable from the very beginning. Meanwhile, the world has been gradually changing since 2000; Especially the internet has changed radically. Despite efforts to adapt to this new tide of globalization, our industry has
not yet fully adapted.

However, in spite of many ups and downs, this industry has been able to create a position. It
is also trying to achieve the status of the industrial sector. However, regular happenings are
needed to make this industry more dynamic; As well as making clothes in tune with foreign
clothes. Then it is possible to stop the aggression of foreign clothes.

As the fashion houses spread to the big cities of the country, the employment opportunities have increased. According to the Fashion Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (FEAB), at least one crore people are involved in this industry in various ways. There are about five and a half thousand fashion houses all over the country including small, big and medium. And the annual turnover of this industrial sector is 6 thousand to 6 thousand crore rupees. The government is also getting significant amount of revenue from this sector.

As it is the center of fashion festival in Bangladesh, the picture of its turnover is quite attractive. Fashion houses have the highest income on Eid-ul-Fitr. About 40 percent of the annual turnover comes at this time. Then 20 percent comes during Boishakh. The remaining 40 percent is sold during the rest of the year. Although more clothes are sold on the occasion of Boishakh, the revenue is comparatively less. Even five years ago, Eid-ul-Adha sales were quite promising. However, this trend has changed and winter sales have increased a lot now. Falgun has been a new occasion as well.

The excellence of domestic weaving products has increased for the benefit of the fashion industry of Bangladesh. Although not worn regularly, sari sales have increased. New audits are being made. Improvements have been made in the Jamdani weaving industry. There is still time to improve the quality of weaving in Bangladesh. If that is possible, the demand for these garments will increase.

There is a lot of designer collection in Bangladesh now. New brands are being created. People from different walks of life and wealth are being able to meet the demand of fashion. A large part of the population of Bangladesh is young. They are really cosmopolitan. They live with time all the time. These young people are more inclined towards the brands that come in the domestic fashion from the ready-made garment sector to be more aware about the international market and trends.

In Bangladesh with a population of 160 million, the boundaries of the middle class are gradually increasing. The number of upper class is increasing. As a result, the potential of Bangladesh’s fashion industry is getting brighter day by day. There will be no need to capture
any other market if sufficient opportunities can be utilized to meet the demand of the domestic market. However, this will require taking advantage of the potential domestic market by following the current demand. This success will be the armor of the fashion industry in preventing the aggression of foreign clothing.

One after another record is being set in the export of goods. Last September 2021, exports
amounted to S 4.17 billion, the highest in a single month in the country’s history. That record
was broken the following month, in October. This month, there has been a new record of
export of goods worth S 482 crore or 40 thousand 592 crore.

The garment sector has played a major role in exporting this record amount of goods. Last month, garments worth S 358 crore or 30,617 crore were exported. This is the highest export record in a month in the history of the garment sector. The previous record was set in September. At that time garments worth S 342 million were exported.

Writer: Md. Mashud Raihan, Lecturer (Senior Scale)