The country’s sluggish garment exports are unlikely to recover in the coming months as the war in the Gulf drives up energy costs, feeds inflation in key Western markets and leaves retailers with more unsold stock, according to exporters and major international buyers.

The following is a recap of those major stories as covered by Star Business

Bangladesh considers all markets non-traditional except the USA, the European Union (EU), Canada and the UK.

Unsold inventories push Western buyers towards 10% order cuts while energy shortages disrupt apparel production

Bangladesh’s garment industry has faced some serious challenges of late. In the first eight months of FY2025-26, the country’s ready-made garment exports fell 3.73 percent year on year to $25.79 billion, against $26.79 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

When President Obama revoked Bangladesh’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) status in 2013, the direct economic shock was mild.

Small and medium-sized garment factories in Bangladesh are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their heads above water amid the rising cost of production and a fall in work orders from international clothing retailers and brands.

Behind the scenes of ‘Made in Bangladesh’

Around 73 per cent of Bangladesh’s garment exports is still limited to nine countries for a lack of market diversification in spite of different public and private initiatives. 

Bangladesh Bank has given AnonTex, which took more than Tk 5,500 crore from Janata Bank through serious irregularities, a controversial permission to take more loans from other state-owned banks as well, reschedule its loans and valuate its assets afresh to make it look like a healthy company.

International inspection agencies said safety conditions in the country's $30 billion garment industry have improved dramatically since the Rana Plaza disaster, thanks to efforts by entrepreneurs, retailers and brands.

A total of 790 readymade garment factories, including 39 export-oriented ones, are shut down following inspections under the supervision of Jatiya Udyog, Accord and Alliance, the commerce minister says.

Bangladesh's manufacturing sector has grown steadily as the country has industrialised. Manufacturing now accounts for 30 percent of GDP, nearly double the share of agriculture.

Bangladesh can create millions of jobs for garment workers through improving the productivity and social and environmental compliance, according to a new study by the World Bank (WB).

Three years into the Rana Plaza collapse, as many as 58.4 percent of Rana Plaza survivors are still suffering from mental illnesses...

A 49.5 percent remediation works in the factories under the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) is completed, as recommended by the experts to ensure workplace safety.