Local garment makers today sought cooperation from Britain to maintain competitiveness for apparel shipment to the UK markets after Bangladesh’s graduation to a developing nation in 2026.

Bangladesh’s garments exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 12.43 per cent year-on-year to $4.94 billion in the first three months of the ongoing fiscal, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) aims to brighten the country’s image and increase its apparel exports by hosting the first “Made in Bangladesh Week” from November 12, according to a top official of the organisation.

Bangladesh has earned global accolades for making remarkable strides in the areas of workplace safety, environmental sustainability and workers’ rights and welfare in the garment sector, said Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Bangladesh’s garment shipment to the country’s single largest export destination, the USA, rose 53.54 per cent year-on-year to $6.64 billion in the January-August period of the current year, according to data from the USA’s Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA).