Swedish envoy praises local garment factories for going green

Alexandra Berg von Linde, Swedish ambassador to Bangladesh, yesterday praised local companies for going green and expressed her desire to see Sweden's green companies coming to the South Asian nation.

Currently, Bangladesh is the global champion in green garment factories having 157 units with the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification given by the United States Green Building Council.

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The envoy was speaking at a meeting with Md Saiful Islam, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), at the chamber's Gulshan office in Dhaka.

She also lauded female participation in the active labour market, particularly in the readymade garment sector and also spoke highly of the visible improvement in women empowerment in Bangladesh.

Sweden saw great potential in Bangladesh's market, and this was reflected in the successful operations of Swedish firms in Bangladesh, including clothing giant H&M.

Islam recounted the country's excitement for qualifying to graduate to the developing country club in 2026.

However, he also expressed worries about the challenges associated with sustainable graduation.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Bangladesh has been able to withstand challenges boldly due to the prudent fiscal and other policy measures initiated by the government in the last two years, he said.  The MCCI president requested Sweden's support in Bangladesh's sustainable graduation.