The garment sector in Bangladesh is facing a tumultuous period as a wave of factory closures continues to sweep across the country. Most recently, Unique Designers and Unique Washing & Dyeing, located in the Board Bazar neighborhood of Gazipur, announced their permanent closure. This decision has left at least 1,800 workers unemployed. While the owners have committed to settling all outstanding wages and legal benefits by July 27, these closures are reflective of a much larger, ongoing trend.
Bangladesh is setting its sights on a significant new milestone in the global fashion industry. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has revealed an optimistic projection, suggesting that the nation has the genuine potential to reach 100 billion U.S. dollars in apparel exports by the end of 2030. This ambitious figure is viewed not merely as a formal target on paper, but as a realistic possibility, driven by the steadily increasing global demand for apparel and the normalization of supply chains following recent disruptions.
The textile and apparel sector in Vietnam is currently facing a new set of challenges that extend far beyond traditional metrics of price, speed, and production capacity. The European Union’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) is fundamentally transforming product data into a mandatory requirement for market access. This pressure is immediate for Vietnam, given that the country’s textile and apparel export basket was valued at US$ 53.33 billion in 2025, with apparel alone accounting for US$ 43.57 billion.
Swedish retail giant H&M has reiterated that Bangladesh remains a "very important sourcing market" for the company, addressing recent media reports that suggested a potential reduction in procurement from the country. As the largest garment buyer in Bangladesh, H&M sources apparel worth approximately $5 billion annually from nearly 300 local factories. While H&M declined to share specific production volumes or market order shares, citing commercially sensitive information, the company emphasized that its long-term partnerships in Bangladesh, established since the early 1980s, remain a fundamental aspect of its global operations.
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