Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) called for stepping up police patrolling on the highway and ensuring safe movement of vehicles carrying apparel goods from factories to port.
Senior Vice President of BGMEA SM Mannan (Kochi) called on Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and made the request to take necessary measures to stop theft of readymade garment goods during transportation for export.
They had discussions about the present situation of the RMG industry, especially the security concerns of exporters over stealing of RMG goods during transportation.
Stressing the need for preventing theft on the highway, BGMEA senior vice president SM Mannan (Kochi) said the stealing incidents cause financial losses and put exporters in an embarrassing situation.
He said such incidents tarnish the image of the country when such cases are detected after products are delivered to buyers.
The BGMEA leaders urged the home minister to direct the highway police to step up patrolling to ensure safe movement of vehicles carrying RMG goods.
They also called for making the process for filing cases against theft easier for the RMG exporters.
The home minister confirmed to the BGMEA leaders that the ministry was working to address the issue.
The law enforcement agencies had already arrested some gang members involved in the theft, he said.
The home minister directed the law enforcement agencies to step up their activities and stop RMG goods stealing incidents on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force of police, arrested Mohammad Shahed, a suspect and ringleader of stealing incidents on the highway, as he was found stealing export-oriented garment products on their way to port on Friday night.
On Friday night, a team of the elite force arrested a total of four members of the racket, including Shahed, with export-oriented garment products worth Tk 100 crore.
The gang had been stealing RMG products for the last one and a half decade.
According to the RAB, a consignment of garments was sent to Chattogram port by a covered van from a factory in Gazipur on October 29 last year for export to Brazil. The following day, 898 cartons of sweaters reached the port.
The buyer-designated shipping company accepted the shipment worth over $125,000 and sent it to Brazil and the buyer paid the full amount immediately after the shipper left the port.
However, on January 6, the garment owner was shocked to see a video received from the Brazilian buyer. It can be seen in the video that some cartons are totally empty and huge products are missing from many others. Later, the owner had to pay an amount equal to the value of the stolen garments.
The factory owner lodged a general diary with Gachha Police Station in Gazipur on February 2 in this regard.
