Representatives from eleven textile and recycling organisations have graduated from the CIRCO program, now certified to implement circular business models that balance profitability with environmental responsibility and ready to turn circular ideas into tangible business impact.
The traditional economic model operates on a “take-make-waste” trajectory, where finite natural resources are extracted, processed into products, and ultimately discarded as pollution or in the landfill. Circularity shifts this paradigm by designing systems that lengthen the life cycle of materials, utilizing their value to the fullest. With the growing need for securing resilient supply chains in a world of finite resources, it is high time for businesses to transition into a model where both economic and ecological considerations are addressed in producing and utilizing the value of products.
Bangladesh, one of the major exporters of ready-made garments and textiles, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials for its products. Acknowledging this resource limitation and the global shift towards circular practices, the country is gradually transitioning into the circular economy. To support this shift of the businesses through a collaborative approach, CIRCO Hub Bangladesh was launched early in 2026, bringing the internationally acclaimed circular methodology from the Delft University of Technology to the Bangladeshi companies, with a special focus on the textile industry.
Following two successful Tracks in 2026, the third Track of CIRCO Hub Bangladesh has recently concluded in Dhaka on 22 June 2026, with a stronger conviction from the industry players in adopting circularity through process efficiency or lengthening product life cycle by diversifying the end use. The three-day intensive workshop brought together eleven leading organisations to translate circular ambition into tangible and actionable business models.
The workshop was organized by LightCastle Partners, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and CIRCO International. The programme concluded with a dynamic pitching session and a certificate-giving ceremony, where distinguished closing remarks were delivered by Mr. Zahedul Amin, Co-founder and Managing Director of LightCastle Partners, and Ms. Tanzila Tajreen, Senior Policy Advisor, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh.
Over the three days, the Track also hosted compelling keynote addresses by Dr. Zaki Uz Zaman, Former Country Director of UNIDO Bangladesh, and Mr. Nure Alam, Chief Operating Officer of Renewable Energy, PRAN-RFL Group. Dr. Zaman offered a timely perspective on Bangladesh’s position in the global circular economy landscape. In a call to action, he urged participants to transcend the boundaries of their individual enterprises, encouraging them to emerge as catalysts for systemic change, actively contributing to policy advocacy and driving sectoral advancement across Bangladesh.
From Theory to Action: A Structured Journey
The third Track was conducted by certified trainers of the CIRCO methodology: Mr. Md. Mubassir Rahman, Principal Business Consultant, LightCastle Partners, Mr. M. Rakinul Islam, Business Consultant, LightCastle Partners, Ms. Ismat Ara Shimi, Business Consultant, LightCastle Partners and Ms. Sadia Karim, Business Consultant, LightCastle Partners.
The professionals who completed the Track and pitched their circular business designs represent the leading actors and recyclers from the textile industry: Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Chorka Textile Limited, Dekko ISHO Group, Fakir Fashion Limited, HAMS Garments Limited, Knit Concern Limited, Liz Fashion Industry Limited, Pacific Recycled Fiber Limited, Shin Shin Apparels Limited, Urmi Group, and Utah Knitting & Dyeing Limited. Collectively, they signal the growing momentum behind circular economy thinking in Bangladesh, moving beyond isolated experiments toward a coordinated, ecosystem-wide effort.
With the EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) and other sustainability transparency regulations fast approaching, Bangladeshi exporters face a new reality: environmental credibility is becoming a licence to trade. In this backdrop, circularity offers ecological compliance and creates economic values, rewarding the circular adoption. By embedding circular design and business models, companies can unlock new revenue streams, optimize production processes, reduce material dependence, and build resilience against tightening global standards. For Bangladesh to hold its ground in international markets, the ability to demonstrate verifiable circularity will be a strategic differentiator and the country is rapidly pacing towards that future.
With three Tracks now complete, and another Track set to roll out this year, CIRCO Hub Bangladesh is progressing toward equipping the country with the capacity of transitioning into this circular future, through building a community of two Advocates of Circularity from each participating organisation, empowered to lead circular transformation within their organisation and to contribute to a stronger national ecosystem for innovation and policy advocacy.
For more information about the Track, visit www.circohubbangladesh.org or connect with CIRCO Hub Bangladesh on LinkedIn.
