As the country’s apparel sector increases purchasing capacity of around 4m workers’ families, it has boosted local demand of different consumer products and services.
The readymade garment jobs have created a market of nearly Tk22,650 crore products and services per annum, said M Atiqul Islam, president of BGMEA.
“Employments in the apparel sector has resulted in creation of local Tk22,649 crore market for different sector products,” BGMEA president told the Dhaka Tribune. The country’s RMG industry employs nearly 4m, mostly rural women. The industry’s export earning is the largest of all other sectors in the country - $24.5bn in last fiscal year.
“The is playing a significant role to empower rural women,” said Atiqul Islam. The sector also helps to reduce early marriages, ensure improved health and education, he added, describing it as a “silent revolution” in the economy and society.
“It (RMG industry) has multidimensional impact on the society. But to go further ahead, proper planing is necessary,” said Abdus Salam Murshedy, managing director of Envoy Textile.
He said in the past a rural woman had almost no earning and could hardly afford to buy daily bread. “But now they are not only earning bread for their families, but can spend to buy different facilities also.”
