Jakob Granit, the Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), wrapped up his visit to Bangladesh on Monday. Accompanied by senior members of Sida and an official from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Granit held constructive discussions with various representatives of the Bangladeshi Government, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The delegation engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders, including civil society, youth, national and international development partners, and private sector representatives, to gather insights on Bangladesh’s reform agenda and development priorities, as well as future challenges and opportunities.
In Gazipur, the delegation explored efforts to enhance water resource management and protection. They also visited IRIS Fabrics Ltd., a factory involved in the Sweden-supported Progress project, which is managed by Swisscontact. Notably, the ready-made garments (RMG) and textiles sector is the largest employer of women in Bangladesh’s formal economy, making its sustainability and competitiveness a top priority for Sweden. The Progress project aims to assist RMG factories in reducing carbon emissions, recycling wastewater, providing green skills training for employees, and meeting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards.
Further discussions took place with representatives from the European Delegation to Bangladesh, the Asian Development Bank, and the External Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance. The focus was on Bangladesh’s economic outlook, trade and investment priorities, and strategies to leverage public and development funds to attract private sector resources and technology.
During a meeting with ERD Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Granit expressed interest in investment initiatives that enhance climate resilience, create job opportunities, and stimulate economic growth. He highlighted the importance of building a broader partnership with Bangladesh, particularly as the country graduates from the group of least-developed nations. Granit stated that Sida is keen to assist Bangladesh in qualifying for EU trade preferences and maximizing synergies between the country’s exports of priority products and imports of green technologies.
The delegation also explored the “Sustainable Fashion Platform by Sweden,” an initiative that unites major Swedish brands such as H&M, IKEA, and Lindex with commercial and financial stakeholders to promote fair business practices and climate-smart technologies in the textile industry.
During the visit, Granit served as the Chief Guest at the launch of the Initiative to Stimulate Private Investment for Resource Efficiency (InSPIRE) Project, which aims to foster a more sustainable and competitive RMG sector in Bangladesh. InSPIRE will encourage RMG factories to implement energy-efficient solutions through technical assistance, training, and grants.
