BGMEA wants uninterrupted gas supply

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the government to keep the supply of natural gas to the export-oriented garment and textile industries uninterrupted with adequate pressure to facilitate smooth production in factories.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call during a meeting with Md Haronur Rashid Mullah, managing director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL), in the capital Wednesday.

Interruption in gas supply will disrupt production in various industrial sectors, including spinning, weaving, finishing, dyeing and printing sections in the industrial belts of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Savar, Ashulia, Manikganj, Narsingdi and Chattogram, hurting export, Faruque said.

The apparel industry of Bangladesh is recovering from the pandemic fallout, and global buyers have grown more confident in the country's garment manufacturers' capacity and commitment to deliver shipments on time even amid the Covid-19 crisis, he added.

But factories will not be able to run at full capacity if gas is not supplied smoothly, making it difficult for the exporters to make shipments on time, he added.

BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim and TGTDCL Director Md Salim Miah were also present at the meeting.