Aurum Sweater Ltd. is a modern, export-oriented knitwear manufacturing company in Bangladesh, specializing in flat-knit and sweater products with a strong focus on quality, innovation, and product diversification. Equipped with advanced knitting technology and a skilled workforce, the company produces a wide range of value-added garments beyond traditional sweaters, including fashion knits, outerwear, and lifestyle apparel. Aurum Sweater Ltd. is committed to sustainable growth, creative design solutions, and meeting the evolving demands of global buyers, positioning itself as a forward-looking player in Bangladesh’s knitwear and textile sector. Recently, Team Textile Focus had an insightful discussion with Amer Salim, Director, Aurum Sweater Ltd., who shared valuable perspectives on the fashion trends in sweaters and industry growth. A brief discussion is given below for our respected readers-
Textile Focus: How would you describe the overall performance of 2025 for your business, and how optimistic are you about growth in 2026 given the uncertainties in the Bangladeshi context?
Amer Salim: We had a fairly good year in 2025. There were many uncertainties, and overall, I would say it was a very difficult time. However, in the context of Bangladesh though the experience was not the same for everyone we are satisfied with it. Considering the way, we are growing, we are very optimistic about 2026 as well. Like previous years, we believe this year will also turn out to be good.
Textile Focus: What kinds of challenges do you foresee ahead?
Amer Salim: Among the challenges, the first issue is trade unions. Although BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA have rejected it, what the final outcome will be is still a matter of concern. To ensure smooth business operations, a settlement that works for everyone is necessary. Another major challenge is power or utilities. We absolutely need uninterrupted gas supply there is no alternative to that. On the other hand, interest rates in the banking sector need to be brought down to a more tolerable level. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world where manufacturing businesses are expected to repay loans within 5–7 years while paying bank interest at a rate of 14–15%. I am optimistic here as well that this situation may improve. At the same time, political stability, law and order, and the country’s image must be improved, because many buyers are concerned about these issues.
Textile Focus: Do you think the sweater business is heading in a particular direction, especially when many factories are shutting down and product diversification is increasing? What strategy are you following in this situation?
Amer Salim: The sweater business is somewhat different. In our factory, you will see that we produce skirts, gloves, pajamas, T-shirts, polo shirts, outerwear, and many other products beyond traditional sweaters. From flat knitting machines, we export whatever can be produced—this could be a sweater or something else. We produce evening gowns and loungewear that looks like gowns, and in my opinion, everyone needs to think out of the box. Creativity is the only solution here. We are currently bringing in whole-garment flat knitting machines, which make it possible to produce proper seamless products that go directly to finishing. These machines are very expensive, but in my view, the return on investment comes quite quickly. Another thing in the sweater segment that Bangladesh did not do much in the past, but many are doing now, is working with fancy or expensive yarns such as 100% wool, 100% cashmere, and we have been working with merino wool for a long time. We must also think about accepting smaller-quantity orders. If we can do that, I believe there is a lot of potential. Currently, Bangladesh’s sweater export is only about USD 6–8 billion. But globally, when you look at the flat knitting segment, this is relatively small. By 2030, this market is expected to exceed USD 100 billion. If Bangladesh cannot capture more than USD 30 billion from that, then in my opinion, it would not be a good performance for the country. To achieve that, we must move forward with these creative solutions
