Dekko Accessories is a leading manufacturer and supplier in Bangladesh’s thriving textile and RMG (Ready-Made Garments) sector, specializing in high-quality accessories. With a reputation for innovation and excellence, Dekko offers a diverse range of products, including polyester and metal buttons, zippers, sewing threads, and various other garment accessories. As a Leed Platinum Certified company, Dekko adheres to the highest compliance standards, meeting the stringent requirements of global buyers. The company collaborates with over 80 renowned international brands, delivering sustainable, traceable, and locally produced solutions that reduce lead time and enhance efficiency. Committed to driving industry growth, Dekko Accessories continues to expand its capabilities, ensuring a competitive edge in the global market.
Recently Team Textile Focus talked with Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Executive Director of Dekko Accessories and Agami Accessories Ltd. Mr. Rouf shared the closeout of 2024 and business planning for 2025. Read the full conversation here-
Textile Focus: What do you think about the current situation of the textile and RMG sector accessories in Bangladesh after the recent mass uprising?
Abdur Rouf: The accessories sector is essentially related to the RMG sector. When garment orders increase, accessory orders also rise, and when garment orders decrease, accessory orders follow suit. Accessories essentially mirror garment trends. The recent political changes in Bangladesh were completely unexpected for everyone. Buyers and suppliers alike were unprepared for this shift. Typically, when an election or a traditional transition of power occurs, there is an anticipation, and everyone prepares accordingly. Over the last 15 years, manufacturers, producers, and suppliers have developed a mindset about how to run their businesses. When this change occurred, the unrest caused many factories to shut down, which gave the country a significant shock. However, Bangladesh recovered quickly, which is a positive sign for the nation.
At the same time, there are efforts from various quarters to destabilize the country and prevent it from functioning normally. From July to December 2024, buyers’ orders are almost fixed, and they cannot shift them rapidly. Establishing a new factory involves inspections, compliance, and capability considerations. Therefore, any shift in orders requires prior readiness. Over the past six months, several brands and buyers have been preparing for such a scenario. It is expected and predicted that some orders may shift in 2025, especially to India. India is also negotiating well with buyers, which might lead to buyers deciding to source 20% of their orders from other countries instead of 100% from Bangladesh. In 2024, we may not see a significant difference from our expectations, but the growth we anticipated might not fully materialize. However, we believe it will still be better than in 2023. Overall, the accessories business is somewhat different and is currently doing well. One major reason is lead time. Nowadays, many accessories are produced in Bangladesh, but for certain items like metal buttons or specialized buttons, we still rely on China. Since almost all industries are trying to reduce lead time and ensure faster order shipment, they perceive some risk in importing from China due to potential deadline misses. Additionally, there are issues in China, such as upcoming government holidays, which often last a week or more, disrupting time-sensitive shipments. As a result, most buyers are attempting to localize accessories sourcing to ensure timely shipments.
Hence, buyers are actively looking for capable factories to source accessories locally instead of relying on China. After COVID-19, significant changes have occurred in Bangladesh’s industry. Currently, almost all types of products, including metal buttons, special fabrics, and specialized accessories, are produced locally. Similarly, new factories for woven and narrow fabrics are being established in Bangladesh. Observing these trends, China realizes the challenges of continuing business as usual and is attempting to expand its factories in Bangladesh. Their global suppliers are also advising them to set up factories here since Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest RMG exporter, which cannot disappear overnight.
Therefore, I believe that even if Bangladesh’s textile and garment business declines slightly in 2025, the accessories business will not. Over the last 5-7 years, we used to import 60-70% of our accessories for garments, whereas now we produce the same volume locally each year, which is expected to reach 90%. If we can increase accessories production by 20%, even if garment orders drop slightly in 2025, it will not significantly impact us. Regarding Dekko Accessories, our capacity is robust, and we work with a wide variety of products. We are the largest polyester and metal button manufacturer in Bangladesh. Additionally, our factories are Platinum Certified, consistently meeting buyer requirements, and we work with over 80 nominated buyers. Global brands prefer to work with selected factories that offer a wide range of products. As Dekko works with such a variety, we have an excellent range of customers. We are optimistic about achieving great results in the accessories industry in 2025.
Textile Focus: Can you tell us about Dekko Accessories’ plans for 2025 or any new projects in the pipeline?
Abdur Rouf: We are working on a major project for 2025, though it’s uncertain if it will be completed within the year. Our plans for 2025 include zipper production, in-house dyeing, sewing threads, and value addition to our existing products. Additionally, we aim to focus on sustainability and become the market leader in this area by emphasizing traceability. We are working towards making 50% of our production compliant with C2G (Cradle-to-Gate) standards by 2025. Moreover, we are improving our capacity, capabilities, and management systems. We consider 2025 another preparation year following COVID-19, so we can operate at full strength in 2026. We always strive to maintain ethical business practices, fostering strong relationships with both customers and suppliers. Since 2025 might be challenging, we are emphasizing collaboration with partners to gain their support and achieve positive outcomes in the industry. This remains our ultimate goal.
