The apparel industry in Bangladesh faces many challenges including poor infrastructure, overreliance on foreign expertise and machinery, unskilled workers, and energy shortages. It employs over 5 million people but has low productivity and capacity utilization. Transportation is also an issue, taking up to 9 hours to transport goods from Dhaka to Chittagong. To overcome these problems and strengthen the industry for global competition, Bangladesh must improve infrastructure, increase worker training and productivity through research, ensure stable energy supply, enhance political stability, and maintain safety and welfare standards.

1. Challenges of Apparel Industry of Bangladesh &
How to Overcome
Textile & Clothing sectorplays a vital role in Bangladesh. Generation
of more than 65% of the country's industrial employmentand 81% of the
export earnings. The industry employs about 5 million workers of whom
80% are women.
Major export earning sector but has huge challenges.From study of
apparel industry sectors;it was found that:
● Most of the apparel industries are running with poor capacity
utilization.
● We are always dependenton the foreign machinery as well as
technicians.
● We have to borrow Engineers/Experts from other countries.
● Transportation Infrastructure: Roads,railway, and seaports every
transportation system is so poor. Need 8-9 hour or more for
transportation any product from Dhaka to Chittagong (244.3 km).
Productivity and efficiencyof Chittagong port is not competitive in
comparisonto other south Asian port such as Colombo and
Mumbai. Chittagong port suffers from high Lead time.
● Unskilled workers: The insufficient size of the skilled workforce,
particularly in middle management, is hampering growth in this
industry. The industry is currently employing 4.2 million workers,
where about 80% is women and they are mostly illiterate, unskilled
and came from the rural and report part of the country.
● Energy crisis: Electricity crisis, Gas shortage etc.
● Political crisis:Political instability is one the main reasons that
has made the apparel industry sufferalong with some of the
other industries in Bangladesh.
● Coverage of accord and alliance.
● Lack of Research and Development(R & D )

2. ● Bank Loan and High Rate of Interestand Tax rate.
A way to overcome the problems
Cheap labor will not be a long term solution to survive in the global
competition.We have to concernabove mentioned issues and overcome.
1. To create a sustainable industry, strong infrastructure is must.
2. Increased Productivity through Research and Training.
3. Consistentsupply of energy, government has to ensure sufficient
energy supply.
4. Safety and welfare of workers.
5. Political Stability, All political activities need to be kept aside from
the business activities.
6. Tax Benefit.
7. Improve transportation infrastructure.
8. Maintain accord and alliance rule and regulation.
Prepared by
Mazharul Islam
Department Of Textile Engineering.