The Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association has demanded the government to withdraw the Bank provision that makes the bonded warehouse licence mandatory for opening back-to-back letters of credit.

Bangladesh, for one, has grown into the world’s second-largest clothing exporter because of its low costs, while Vietnam has become a favorite alternative to China for producing sneakers and textiles.

Union leaders in Bangladesh are urging the government to reject a plea by garment manufacturers to suspend a planned five per cent hike in the minimum wage for garment workers because of the pandemic

A combination of factors — US ban on Chinese cotton, a sudden surge in orders for garments, additional stocking up, increased exports to Tirupur’s competitors including Vietnam and Bangladesh — have resulted in a yarn shortage for garments exporters.

For many countries, especially in Southeast Asia, the garment industry is the backbone of their national economies. Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam have dealt with the lion’s share of issues facing the global garment industry caused by COVID-19.