In backdrop of recent attacks in which two foreign nationals have lost their lives, international retailers are reportedly postponing their scheduled meeting in Dhaka with garment makers citing security reasons even as buyers’ forum meeting (representatives from nearly 65 to 70 international retailers, which account for about 90 per cent of the country’s US $ 25 billion receipts from garment exports a year, participate in the meeting), a regular monthly discussion between the retailers and garment manufacturers has been deferred, according to Faruque Hassan, Vice President of BGMEA. Many manufacturers fear reduction, cancellation and shift of work orders to other countries as lots of retailers have shifted meetings to Dubai, China, India, Hong Kong and Thailand and asked the garment makers to meet there instead.
