On April 30, the National Stakeholders workshop on navigating policy dimensions towards a strategy on Circular Economy for Textile/RMG industries in Bangladesh was held in Dhaka, with active participation from industry stakeholders, policymakers, and sustainability experts. The objective was to explore learnings from the SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE) project and to outline future steps to foster a national circular textile strategy for Bangladesh. The event was organized by UNIDO, Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh, and Chatham House, under the SWITCH2CE project.
Bangladesh, the second-largest garment exporter in the world, is a significant producer of pre-consumer waste. There is a considerable opportunity to position Bangladesh as a leader in circularity by expanding the country’s recycling capacity and creating greater value from these waste streams.
The event focused on advancing Bangladesh’s transition to a circular textile economy, with discussions on innovative recycling of pre-consumer waste, ethical sourcing, traceability technologies, and inclusive business models. Stakeholders emphasized policy recommendations to formalize and scale textile waste recycling, enhance traceability, and build institutional and financial capacity. The Ministry of Commerce reaffirmed its commitment to develop a National Strategy and roadmap for a climate-neutral, circular apparel industry. Discussions also addressed challenges in blended fiber recycling, transparent supply chains, and the need for coordinated efforts to build a sustainable textile ecosystem. The event underscored both the opportunities and hurdles in positioning Bangladesh as a global leader in circular textile production.
Presentations by Mark Draeck, SWITCH2CE Chief Technical Adviser, and Dr. Patrick Schröder, Senior Researcher at Chatham House offered valuable insights, emphasizing that the development of a national strategy could serve as a powerful tool for policymakers to support the industry’s transition toward sustainable circular models.
Mr. Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, while reflecting on the export policy 2024-2027, stated “It is time to formulate a practical national strategy for leading this vision for transforming toward a climate neutral industry. Government is always there to support but the private sector needs to upfront the change, support the development and adoption of strategy approach for the overall industry competitiveness for being a global manufacturing hub”
Mr. Edwin Koekkoek, First Counsellor and Team Leader for Green Inclusive Growth at the EU Delegation in Bangladesh, stressed that an efficient circular strategy will not only reduce waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, it will also reduce costs and better prepare Bangladesh exports to withstand competitive pressure in an increasingly volatile global landscape.
Md. Anwar Hossain, BGMEA Administrator and and Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) emphasized the need to develop a “homegrown” business model that establishes a virtual marketplace for textile waste transactions. This initiative would integrate the informal sector into the formal economy while ensuring a transparent and traceable supply chain.
Dr. Patrick Schroeder from Chatham House emphasised “A national strategy for textile and RMG industries will help Bangladesh remain competitive, but will also support technological innovation, investments and climate-neutral industrial growth. Chatham House and UNIDO are happy to support the Government of Bangladesh in developing a national strategy for 2025-2030 based on SWITCH2CE learnings and international experiences.”
Mark Draeck from UNIDO, said, “SWITCH2CE has successfully tested new technologies and approaches to advance circularity with leading brands like BESTSELLER and H&M Group and their manufacturers in Bangladesh. A national strategy for circular economy for the textile value chain is required to provide a clear policy signal and will give the confidence to the industry to advance and scale these investments and take the circular transition to the next level.”
Ms. Vidiya Amit Khan, Advisor at BGMEA Standing Committee on Circular Economy, moderated an interactive discussion session, and Ms. Khadiza Nazneen, Joint Secretary (Planning), Ministry of Commerce, shared closing remarks of the session. Dr. Zaki Uz Zaman, Country Representative of UNIDO, Ms. Asma Sultana, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Hubert Blom, Attaché – Programme Manager, EUD, Mr. Shams Mahmud Member, Support Committee, BGMEA, representatives from Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh Bank, NSDA, EPB, Ministry of Industries, SMEF, Embassies, H&M Group, BESTSELLER, DBL, Fakir Group also attended the event.
The global Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains project (SWITCH2CE), co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, is led by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy and the European Investment Bank (EIB). SWITCH2CE supports the transition to circularity in selected global value chains. In Bangladesh, SWITCH2CE works with the textile and garments sector. Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh is the policy level -strategic lead for Bangladesh. Learn more: www.switchtocircular.eu
