The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan stressed the improvement of health and well-being of workers to ensure sustainable development of the ready-made garment (RMG) industry.

He called for more support from the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and development partners in this regard.

The BGMEA president came up with the call while addressing a workshop titled “Strengthening nutrition services for RMG workers through Workforce Nutrition Alliance” at Hotel Lakeshore in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Dr Md Akhteruzzaman, additional secretary at the Health Services Division; Prof Dr Mijanur Rahman, line director, National Nutrition Services (NNS); Dr Mofijul Islam Bulbul, programme manager, NNS; and GM Reza Sumon, project manager, GAIN also spoke at the event.

In his address, Faruque Hassan highlighted the RMG industry’s commitment to ensuring safety, health, nutrition, and overall well-being of the nation’s workforce.

He mentioned the various initiatives undertaken by garment factories for worker’s well-being, including numerous non-wage benefits such as healthcare centres, eye care facilities, day care centres, fair price shops, alongside initiatives for the community, including schools and hospitals.

He also outlined the efforts and initiatives led by BGMEA to promote the health and well-being of RMG workers.

These initiatives include healthcare centres, maternity rights programmes, eye care services, and mental health awareness campaigns.

BGMEA operates eight health centres in Dhaka and Gazipur, along with a hospital in Chattogram, providing free-of-cost health services to garment workers.