Plush, regal fabrics make agorgeous fashion spectacle. Fabrics are influenced by changes in technology,work, moral and cultural values of a country. Good fabrics complement thefinishing of a garment, and add to its beauty. Along with the global demand, localmarkets of a country alter itself to match with the rapid changes in fad. Bangladesh is best placed in the region for fabrics, and textiles. Textile and fabricsindustry is the largest sector in the country with a potential to manufacturemore than 3 billion yards of fabrics on an average; annually.
Fabric Industry of Bangladesh - Growing Textile Economy:
Fabrics play an important role inthe economy, and fabric industries are a dominating factor in Bangladesh. Fabric industries are more labor intensive, and hence play a prominent role inproviding employment for people. In Bangladesh, this industry accounts for 45%of the total industrial employment, 13% of the GDP, and 5 % of the totalnational income. It employs more than 4 million people, of which majority arewomen. In addition to meeting the demand for domestic apparel manufacturing,they also have a significant contribution in the exports of textiles andclothing. Fabric and apparel exports account for approximately $5 billion ayear to US, EU, Canada and other countries; worldwide.
Initially fabric industry in Bangladesh was a small import substitute industry and started growing during the 80s. Organizedand private sector industries are dominating the scene currently, and arefurther expanding rapidly. Most of its industries are concentrated in Dhaka, Narayanganj and its neighborhood. 78% of the total export earning comes fromtextiles and textile related products. Their fabric production capacity during1994-2007 increased drastically from 1,260 million meters to 3,500 millionmeters. Textile and fabric manufacturers of Bangladesh face competition withcountries like India, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and China. But, Bangladesh has a comparative advantage over its counterparts in terms oflabor and energy cost which are much lower and have remained static over aperiod of time.
Labor costs in Bangladesh is lowest as compared with its competitors
Energy costs in Bangladesh as compared with its counterparts
Textile industries of thiscountry is comprised of a mix of small to large scale privately and publiclyowned companies. Major textile fabrics exported from Bangladesh are PV fabrics,polyester filament fabrics, man-made filament mixed fabrics, and viscosefilament fabrics. Fabric and apparel sectors together consist of 3,600 firms;most of them in and around the capital city of Dhaka.
Jamdani - Fabrics with Eternal Beauty:
Jamdani fabric is one of the oldest cottage industries in Bangladesh. It is an exquisitely woven; fine cotton muslin fabric and much resembles the tapestry work. Shuttles of gold or silver colored threads are passed through the weft to form an intricate pattern in the body of the fabric. The body of the fabric is normally designed with delicate floral sprays; and hence the name 'Jamdani' which means 'a vase of flowers'. Earlier it was used in making saris, but now with the changing trends of time, this fabric is also used for making kurtas for men and women. Its weavers are admired to be the best among the skilled craftsman of South Asia even today. The texture of the fabric and its quality is so fine that, it is depicted as being woven with 'thread of winds'. The fine weaves and delicate embroidery patterns of this fabric have been in demand world wide; for centuries.
Jute Fabrics Made out of the 'Golden Fibre':
Bangladesh is the major center for jute cultivation due to its geographic location enriched with abundant water, affluent alluvial soil, and hot and humid monsoon climate. 90% of the world's total production of high quality jute is cultivated in Bangladesh. Hence it was described as the Golden Fibre of Bangladesh. Jute fabrics have undergone a spectacular transformation of various products starting from gunny bags and packing material to the glamorous world of high end fashion. Jute is used to manufacture variety of fabrics like Hessian cloth, sacking, carpet backing cloth (CBC), sacking, and canvas. The unique texture and moisture absorbing capacity of jute has created a global demand for these fabrics. Jute fabrics are carbon-dioxide neutral and naturally decomposable. Due to this feature jute is used in manufacturing high performance technical textiles. Jaat area located in the heart of Bangladesh is famous for highest quality of Jute and its related fabrics.
New Challenges to the Sector:
A few industries have the best facilities in the country, and serve as role models for efficient fabric industries. Yet, in some places, there is no wage board, or overtime payments for the workers. Currently the fabric and the apparel sector are facing some challenges.
- Production costs increased around 10-15 percent due to rise in fuel prices, and other inputs.
- Followed by this was the appreciation of Bangladeshi 'taka' (currency of Bangladesh) against the US dollar.
- Fabric demand is increasing at the rate of 20% per year. But, it does not produce enough raw materials required for the industry to expand.
- The weaving sector of Bangladesh has the capacity to meet only 40% of the fabric demand, and the rest is imported.
- There was a downward slope in the clothing market graph during the first half of 2007-08 due to political unrest and anti-corruption drives, but was revived a little later on.
Bangladesh Government offers incentives for encouraging the use of local fabrics in garment industries. Textile export is encouraged by way of allowing the import of capital machinery and cotton; duty free. Textile industry in Bangladesh has made a spectacular achievement during the last three decades. It has presently emerged as the twelfth largest textile manufacturing nation in the world. Good technical infrastructure, manufacturing base, capability, production equipment and consumer demands have propelled the country to move to the forefront of apparel and textile innovation.
References:
5) http://www.bangladesh.com/textiles/
7) http://www.textileworldasia.com
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