The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting delegates of the European Union in Dhaka on 14 March.

The EU delegates included Jordi Curell Gotor, Director for International Affairs in Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DGEMPL); Ivo Schutte, Deputy Head of Division, Asia and the Pacific-Regional Affairs and South Asia, European External Action Service (EEAS); Alessandro Tonoli, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE), European Commission; and Benedikt Bünker, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DGEMPL), European Commission.

Charles Whiteley, Ambassador, EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Winnie Estrup Petersen, Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh; Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh; Francisco de Asís Benítez Salas, Ambassador of Spain to Bangladesh; Anne Gerard van Leeuwen, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh; Jeremy Opritesco, Deputy Head of Mission, EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Md. Shafiul Islam MP, former President of BGMEA; Mohammad Hatem, Executive President of BKMEA; Tuomo Poutianen, Country Director of ILO Bangladesh, Javier Santonja, Country Head of Inditex; Guillaume Audren de Kerdrel, Chargé d'Affaires of the France Embassy in Bangladesh; Ms. Zähringer, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Germany in Bangladesh; Nasreen Zamir, Honorary Consul, Honorary Consulate of Luxembourg; Shakhawat Hossain, Honorary Consul, Honorary Consulate of Portugal; and Abu Syed Belal, Trade Advisor, EU Delegation to Bangladesh also attended the dinner.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan welcomed the EU delegates and expressed thanks for joining the dinner. 

The current situation of Bangladesh’s RMG industry and major achievements especially in the areas of workplace safety, workers’ rights and well-being and environmental sustainability were discussed during the dinner.

The BGMEA President also shed light on the industry’s committed efforts to pursue more excellence in these areas in the coming days.

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Directors Barrister Shehrin Salam Oishee, Asif Ashraf, Tanvir Ahmed, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Md. Imranur Rahman, former Director Sharif Zahir and Chair of BGMEA Committee on RSC Nafis-Ud-Doula also joined the dinner.