Zahedul Amin at the Apparel & Textile Session at Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025

The apparel and textile industry is the backbone of Bangladesh’s economy, contributing 84.5% to national exports and employing over 4 million workers. As the world’s second-largest RMG exporter, Bangladesh continues to meet global demand while advancing a sustainable transition, with over 200 LEED-certified green factories.

Leveraging its demographic dividend and competitive labor force, the country has become one of the most attractive sourcing destinations for affordable apparel. In the era of Industry 4.0, the sector is embracing innovation and resilience to maintain its global edge.

Highlighting these strengths, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and HSBC, in collaboration with BIDA, hosted the Apparel & Textiles session at the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025. The session brought together global apparel leaders, manufacturers, investors, policymakers, and sustainability advocates to explore Bangladesh’s growing role in the international textile and garment industry.

Key Insights from the Apparel & Textile Session

Discussions focused on investment opportunities in sustainable manufacturing, enhancing supply chain resilience, and upgrading the value chain. Participants emphasized the importance of next-generation apparel production and the need to scale sustainability efforts in line with evolving global compliance standards and consumer expectations.

Kihak Sung, Chairman & CEO of Youngone Corporation, delivered the keynote address titled “Bangladesh Moving Forward: Through an Investor’s Lens.” He stressed the importance of value-added production, stating, “We must focus on producing high-value garments; otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to remain competitive in the global market.” Anwar Hossain, Administrator of BGMEA and Vice-Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau, also shared insights on the sector’s future direction.

In one of the panel discussions “Bangladesh Beckons – Export Infrastructure”, Zahedul Amin, Co-founder and Managing Director of LightCastle Partners, underscored the urgency of decarbonizing the RMG sector. 

He remarked, “Reducing our carbon footprint is critical, and while several large factories in Bangladesh are leading the way in the green transition, we must consider the limitations of our national grid—currently powered predominantly by fossil fuels, with only about 5% coming from renewable sources. Many factories have begun adopting rooftop solar solutions, but these efforts are largely self-funded. To ensure a scalable and sustainable shift, we need a robust public-private partnership mechanism that supports and accelerates the transition to clean energy.”

The session also featured a keynote presentation by Ranjan Mahtani, Chairman of Epic Group, followed by a panel discussion titled “Sustainability at the Heart”, moderated by Dr. Rubana Huq, Vice-Chancellor of the Asian University for Women. This panel explored the integration of ESG principles into the RMG value chain, highlighted opportunities for innovation in materials and cleaner production, and discussed the importance of policy and fiscal support for sustainable manufacturing.