May 2025

The 37 per cent tariff slapped on Bangladesh’s exports by the Trump administration felt more

like a punch to the RMG industry’s gut. While the 90-day reprieve softened the blow, a baseline 10 per cent tariff remains in place, similar to other countries. The big question now is: Will the sector face irreparable damage or will it adapt and thrive in this new era of tariff wars? In our Cover Story, we got in touch with industry leaders about their views and strategies.

There are two Thought Leadership stories that we have brought for you this time. In one of them, Shah Rayeed Chowdhury, Director, Evince Group discusses how a sustainable industry cannot be built on ethical sourcing alone if the topic of ethical buying is ignored. The other story delves into the strong shift towards sustainable manufacturing practices in denim production, from the perspective of Kamrun Nahar, Lead Denim Designer of Hameem Group.

Also don’t miss our exclusive interview with Md. Mohuiddin Rubel, BGMEA Director and Additional MD of Denim Expert Ltd., where he shares insights on how the time has come for Bangladesh to dominate the sustainable fashion space with further impetus to recyclability, circular fashion and smarter resource utilisation.

Our Trade Stats section examines the strained trade ties between India and Bangladesh which are only growing with each approaching day and so are the apprehensions of industry leaders regarding the potential disruption of the supply chain, rising production costs and the impact on Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the global apparel market.

Be sure to catch up on our Manufacturing story wherein Abhishek Yugal, Managing Partner, Groyyo Consulting talks about Bangladesh’s success being largely dependent on meeting global buyers’ expectations and how Groyyo Consulting can turn this into reality by helping manufacturers build factories based on speed, transparency and traceability.

Stay tuned for our other regular sections like Fashion Business, Trends in Focus, AO Colour Report and so on.