Rokeya Quader, Chairman, Desh Garments; Irene Taludkar, Director, Irene Knitwears; Munazzama Mustari Tania, Director, Musk Sweater Composite; Naseema Akhter, Proprietor, JS Apparels; Neelam Gupta, MD, DGN Apparels are some of the respected names in Bangladeshi RMG industry. While all these companies are leading the apparel export business in this country, they are doing so with women at their helm.
Rokeya Quader, wife of M Noorul Quader (who was a freedom fighter, a bureaucrat, the first Secretary to the Bangladesh Government, and then the Founder of Desh Garments), who till date is respected for building apparel exports in the country. Rokeya Quader, who is now the company Chairperson, took full control of the office in 1998 within 40 days of the demise of her husband, struggling to run the family business with dignity.
Respecting the wishes of her late husband and looking up to what he had achieved and left behind, Rokeya strove to continue his legacy. With a workforce of more than 1,000 people, Desh Garments since its inception specializes in menswear woven shirts, and have recently started making ladies shirts as well for buyers like Sears, Colts and Walmart.
During the initial years, as the company was expanding, Irene Taludkar joined the company to act as the support system for her husband. Later they started working together, with clearly demarcated roles. Known for her patience and soothing smile, Irene has been accepted by her staff as a well wisher. “I have been a part of the privileged few that have never faced any problems at work, despite the conservative society in which we have been brought up. That is mainly because of the undying support I have received from my husband, as he has always helped me whenever I got stuck,” she said, adding that one of the most important lessons that she has learned after all these years is that the finishing department is one of the most crucial stages of the production cycle, and any drop in terms of efficiency and speed at this stage costs the production capacity of the company.
Munazzama Mustari Tania believes that a change is happening — in terms of how women are increasingly being accepted as an important part of the society as well as the role women play in it — with more emphasis on education. However, she maintains, a lot more needs to be done, as women are still not given the appreciation and the respect they deserve for their work as businesswomen.
“One should know how to multitask and handle different situations, and if women can do that, they can reach any heights they want… it is within reach,” she said.
Apart from being the owner of her garment unit, Tania also had the experience of being Chairman of the standing committee on public relations at BGMEA. Maintaining a perfect balance between her roles as a dutiful wife and mother of two, to the administrator of her garment manufacturing factory and passionate representative of ‘she-entrepreneurs’ at BGMEA.
Naseema Akhter, Proprietor, J S Apparels is of the the opinion, “After such a long journey that has been almost like a roller coaster, I find little difference between whether you are a man or a woman at this level…”
A self made-woman, passionately involved with her business and her workers, Naseema is poised, polite, and loves to keep herself busy with her work. “Started quite early, way back in 1995, when both Bangladesh and my life were different and difficult. In fact I was a very shy person all my life. I never thought I’ll ever come into this field and work so hard. It’s situations that make a person, “From the time I started till today, a lot has changed. Now women are quite enterprising and liberated. Earlier, people were very different; they were conservative and apprehensive towards the fact that a woman can do this business. I had to prove myself in the men’s world,” she said.
On this topic, DGN Apparels MD Neelam Gupta, in fact, has a strong opinion, “Many think that setting up a factory in Bangladesh by a woman is such an achievement. But I don’t think it’s about being a man or a woman. At the end of it, it is only your passion that can make you grow.” Aggressive and determined even as a child, refusing to take pocket money from her father when she turned 18, Neelam became independent and confident earlier in life than most her age. Married to her work, she joined the industry as a QC, eventually shifting base to Dhaka in 2004 as a QA manager for Indo-Sheen Buying House and then moving on to open her own manufacturing unit three years ago.
Today, she works almost round the clock with no time for herself. “I have no regrets… for it is fulfilling at the end of the day and I always look forward to a busier tomorrow. She admits that being a woman also has its own set of advantages.
