Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh and the Netherlands have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pro-mote circular economy practices in the country’s textile and readymade garment sectors, aiming to accelerate green transformation, reduce waste and enhance export competitiveness.
The MoU was signed at a ceremony titled “MoU Signing on Cooperation in the Field of Circular Economy” at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce yesterday, said a press release.
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir signed the MoU on behalf of Bangladesh, while the Netherlands’ Minister for Climate and Green Growth Stientje van Veldhoven signed on be-half of her country. The two ministers joined the ceremony virtually.
Under the agreement, the two countries will expand cooperation in resource efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, sustainable production and green industrialisation across the textile value chain.
Speaking at the ceremony, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said adopting sustainable production sys-tems and circular economy practices has become essential for the global textile industry.
“As Bangladesh’s RMG and textile supply chain is deeply integrated into the global market, in-ternational cooperation in this sector needs to be strengthened,” he said.
The commerce minister said Bangladesh and the Netherlands have long been working as part-ners based on mutual trust, shared values and strong economic cooperation.
The Netherlands is one of Bangladesh’s important development and trade partners in areas in-cluding water management, agriculture, logistics and sustainable industrial development.
He said the MoU is an important milestone in advancing the partnership towards a greener, more resilient and future-oriented economy.
“Circular economy is not merely about environmental conservation; it is directly linked to strengthening the long-term competitiveness of Bangladesh’s export sector, ensuring optimum use of resources, attracting sustainable investment, creating green jobs and addressing emerging demands in international markets,” he said.
Muktadir said Bangladesh is moving towards graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category and, in this context, strengthening sustainable industrial capacity, adopting envi-ronment-friendly production systems and complying with international standards will help the country maintain its position in global trade.
He stressed that the transition to a circular economy cannot be achieved by any single stakehold-er. Governments, industries, financial institutions, development partners, research organisa-tions and consumers need to work together.
The MoU places emphasis on multi-stakeholder cooperation and knowledge exchange, which, he said, would help bring necessary structural changes to the textile sector.
Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Nether-lands Faiyaz Murshid Kazi and Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel, among oth-ers, attended the program.
The MoU is expected to create new opportunities for the use of green technologies, innovation and sustainable production in Bangladesh’s textile and RMG sectors, while enhancing their com-petitiveness in international markets.
It is also expected to contribute to making Bangladesh’s industrial sector more climate-resilient and better prepared for the future global trading system.
