Denim expo kicks off in Dhaka with focus on innovation, capacity building

The Bangladesh Denim Expo began on Monday at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka, highlighting innovation and capacity building as key strategies to navigate the global apparel market's current uncertainties.
A total of 57 exhibitors from 13 countries—including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Vietnam, the UAE, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA—are participating in the two-day event.
During a seminar held at the expo, speakers emphasised that Bangladesh will remain a crucial global sourcing hub, even amid rising trade tensions and shifting tariff policies.
Bangladesh has emerged as the fastest-growing apparel exporter to the United States in the first quarter of 2025, recording the highest year-on-year growth of 26.64%.
This growth outpaced other major exporters, including India (24.04%), Pakistan (17.49%), Vietnam (13.96%), and China (4.18%), despite growing volatility in the US market following the recent imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration.
“Even in trade negotiations, our strength lies in the industry’s consistent progress in skill development, sustainability, and innovation. We need our trade partners just as much as their consumers need us,” said Mostafiz Uddin, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo.
Bangladesh is currently the largest exporter of denim to both the United States and Europe. It enjoys duty-free access to the EU under the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) due to its Least Developed Country (LDC) status. However, this status is set to change as Bangladesh graduates to a developing country in 2026.
Industry insiders warn that if Bangladesh fails to secure GSP+ status after the transition, it may lose its duty-free access to the EU from 2029. The EU currently accounts for 50.15% of Bangladesh’s total apparel exports.
“In the last edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo, our expert panels highlighted the urgency of capacity building in preparation for LDC graduation and the changing global tariff regimes,” Mostafiz added.
This year’s event features two panel discussions focused on the growth of Bangladesh’s denim industry, exploring themes such as denim washing technologies and traceability in stretchable denim products.
Panelists include Abdus Samad, Director of Well of Washing; Arief Labu, Co-founder of Ruhrose RBT; Julie Davies, General Manager at The Woolmark Company; Kamal Uddin Mia, COO of Bitopi Group; Marco Volpi from Bluesign Technologies; Forhad Hossain, Proprietor of Pure Chemicals; Raquib Imtiaz, Business Manager at LC Waikiki; Reza e Rabbi, Head of Operations at Vertex Wear; and Shohel Rana, CEO of Designer Fashion.
A special presentation titled “Denim Business Beyond Sewing and Wash Production” will also be delivered by Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Head of Operations at Square Denims.