Intelligent Resources International (IRI) — an affiliated company of Engineering Resources International (ERI) and Sustainable Climate Solutions (SCS) — successfully hosted “ESG Connect: Fashioning the Future” on October 28, 2025, at Six Seasons Hotel, Dhaka, bringing together sustainability leaders, policymakers, manufacturers, and development partners for an engaging multi-stakeholder dialogue on ESG due diligence, EU readiness, and data-driven sustainability transformation.
The event served as an interactive platform to discuss how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices can strengthen Bangladesh’s global competitiveness through measurable compliance, transparency, and collaboration.
Key Discussions
Two thematic Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) anchored the event:
Runway to EU Readiness — explored Bangladesh’s preparedness for upcoming EU sustainability and due diligence regulations, featuring: Engr. Naznin Akhter, Director, Solaric Group; Abrar Hossain Sayem, President, BAYLA; Mohammed Sohel, Director, BGMEA; Kamran Sadiq, Director, MBM Group; Asim Mondal, ESG Consultant, Goodwave & Former Consultant, UNDP; Engr. Abdullah Al Mamun, Assistant Director, SREDA; and Abu Nayem, Assistant Director, Bangladesh Bank. Rezwana Islam, Decarbonisation Specialist of ERI, moderated the first discussion, “Runway to EU Readiness,”
ESG Due Diligence — examined how data, financing, and partnerships can enhance accountability and traceability across the supply chain, featuring:The second session, titled “ESG Due Diligence,” was moderated by Nasir Uddin Babu, Head of Supply Chain Finance at IDLC Finance Ltd.
The panel featured distinguished speakers: Nawshin Nawal, National Green Financing Analyst at UNCDF; Syful Alam Mallick, Regional Compliance Manager at Auchan Retail; ABM Faqrul Alam, Sustainability Lead at Urmi Group; Dewan Nurul Islam, Chemical & Environmental Responsible at Bestseller; and Mashook Chowdhury, Senior Manager, Sustainability at DBL Group.
The panelists shared valuable perspectives on the necessity of ESG governance, data transparency, and global reporting alignment, underscoring how integrated digital systems like RTIS (Resource Tracking Information System) can help bridge the gap between compliance and performance.
“ESG Connect has created an actionable space where data, finance, and sustainability converge,” said Mr. Shaikh Akber Hakim, President & CEO of the SCS Group. “As the industry moves toward ESG-aligned operations, IRI remains committed to building transparent, measurable, and credible systems through the RTIS platform — empowering both compliance and competitiveness.”
He encouraged all participants to share their insights, expectations, and practical experiences to help shape the evolving RTIS ESG Module, ensuring it truly reflects the industry’s real-world needs and priorities.
The event was graced by Mr. Kamran T. Rahman, President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), who attended as Guest of Honor.
He praised IRI’s initiative for bringing together diverse industry stakeholders to build momentum for transparent and data-driven ESG compliance in Bangladesh’s apparel sector.
Among the participants, Dewan Nurul Islam, Chemical & Environmental Responsible, BESTSELLER, shared,
“We’ve been working with the RTIS platform to strengthen supply chain data transparency and generate actionable insights. It’s encouraging to see how the new RTIS ESG framework will further empower industries — and we’re confident that more brands and factories will benefit from this impactful system.”
Adding to that, Mr. Mashook Chowdhury, Senior Manager, Sustainability, DBL Group, noted,
“The platform is already robust and highly flexible, enabling factories to align with diverse sustainability and compliance requirements with ease.”
Fashioning the future
Under the theme “Fashioning the future,” IRI fostered open conversations to identify the apparel industry’s ESG challenges, needs, and opportunities. The insights will guide the further development of the RTIS ESG Module, which expands beyond environmental tracking to a comprehensive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) monitoring and reporting framework.
The module enables factories and buyers to conduct ESG self-assessments, generate scores, and evaluate sustainability performance in alignment with EU due diligence and global ESG standards — providing credible reporting, verifiable data to support compliance, financing, and transparency.
