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The ready-made garment and textile industries have been the primary engine of Bangladesh’s exports over the past four years. Together they account for over 80% of total exports, generating $19.90 billion in foreign earnings. This has cemented Bangladesh as the second largest apparel exporter globally. The RMG sector has clearly become the backbone of both economic growth and export promotion for Bangladesh. The ready-made garment (RMG) sector alone employs over 4 million workers, mainly women from rural areas.
However, the industry faces challenges around productivity, environmental sustainability, and upgrading technology and skills. While large manufacturers have begun addressing these issues, most factories, particularly smaller firms, lack the expertise and capital to implement major changes on their own. They need access to finance, technical skills, and global best practices. This requires strategic investments in enhanced product development, advanced materials know-how, digital design tools and other capabilities integral to unlocking higher-value categories.
Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) brings the first ever Accelerator Program for Fashion & Textile focused startups targeting these gaps by identifying and supporting technology startups and forward-thinking garment factories. Through training, mentorship, and financing it will help scale innovative solutions to increase productivity, sustainability, product development, and functional upgrades across Bangladesh’s RMG sector.
Accelerating these solutions will strengthen the industry’s global competitiveness while creating quality jobs and reducing environmental damage. The fundamental objective of this accelerator is to drive innovation and modernization across Bangladesh’s fashion industry by supporting the development of early-stage startups. By accelerating these startups, the program seeks to catalyze rapid upgrades and strengthen the competitiveness of Bangladesh.
