Swisscontact, Embassy of Sweden, and URMI Group highlight green manufacturing at ISO 14001 Certified Factory, Dhaka: "Sustainable Manufacturing: A Day at the Environmentally Compliant Factory.

Her Excellency Ms. Alexandra Berg von Linde, the Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka, and Ms. Syeda Ishart Fatema, team lead at Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector Through Skills (PROGRESS), attended an event at Fakruddin Textile Mills Limited. The gathering included speeches Ms. Ishrat Fatema, Team Leader-Progress, Swisscontact; Mr. Mir Ashraful Hossain, Group COO and Director of Urmi Group; and Mr. Biplob Barua, General Manager of Fakruddin Textile Mills Limited, all of whom provided valuable perception.

Approximately fifty individuals attended the event, including representatives from Swisscontact (PROGRESS), the Swedish embassy, and factory management. Their shared focus was on supporting the transition of Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry towards the adoption of eco-friendly practices. The central theme of the event was the promotion of environmentally conscious skills, with a particular emphasis on Swisscontact's innovative Industry-based model (IBT).

The event featured a constructive discussion where participants shared their thoughts, experiences, and challenges related to sustainable practices within the RMG sector. Representatives from Swisscontact (PROGRESS), the Swedish Embassy, and factory management actively engaged in this discussion.

After the insightful discussion, Ms. Syeda Ishrat Fatema gave an informative presentation summarising the sustainable initiatives implemented in the PROGRESS project. In her presentation, she covered the core aspects of these initiatives and their beneficial effects on the environment. She also discussed different reporting frameworks, examined methods for evaluating the success of sustainable initiatives, and provided insights into the various stakeholders involved in these efforts, explaining their specific roles and responsibilities. After the initial presentation, Mr. Mir Ashraful Hossain delivered a subsequent presentation on the factory's environmentally conscious practices. He highlighted the commitment to product quality and the ethical and responsible supervision of resources across the supply chain.

Subsequently, participants embarked on a factory tour guided by the factory management and a consultant chosen by Swisscontact (PROGRESS) and the factory management. The tour aimed to showcase the practical implementation of green skills by workers and the sustainable manufacturing practices within the factory. During the tour, participants were able to see a variety of eco-friendly manufacturing techniques used by the factory. Fakruddin Textile Mills Ltd. (FTML), part of Urmi Group, has been a leader in synthetic fabric dyeing in Bangladesh since 2002. They have sustainable features like an ETP and rooftop solar panels and have won several awards for environmental initiatives and inclusive skill development.

Notably, the PROGRESS project has partnered with Rajesh Bheda Consulting Ltd. (RBC), a key consulting firm, to enhance the skills of FTML factory workers, particularly women workers, in line with sustainability goals. RBC will implement the Industry Based Training (IBT) model among FTML factory workers with the overarching objective of enhancing their production, quality, and HR practices, narrowing the green skills gap, and promoting gender awareness. RBC also aspires to facilitate management sensitization in harmony with PROGRESS's Environmental and Social Governance component.

The event culminated with a closing ceremony, where heartfelt gratitude was extended to all participants and the factory management. The ceremony acknowledged the factory's unwavering commitment to adopting environmentally friendly practices for a sustainable future.

News Link: Green manufacturing showcased at URMI Group's Dhaka factory