BATEXPO to return after 12 years

After more than a decade, Bangladesh’s largest apparel industry exhibition, BATEXPO, is set to return with a two-day event on November 18 and 19 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan announced the programme at a press conference at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara on Thursday.

The BATEXPO 2026 will showcase the transformation of Bangladesh’s apparel industry, workplace safety, sustainable manufacturing practices and the sector’s growing focus on high-value, technology-driven and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled production, he said.

The event will feature a Global Apparel Expo, Global Apparel Summit, AI and Innovation Hub, Sustainability and Circularity Exposition, Sustainability Leadership Award and a fashion runway.

According to the BGMEA president, the organisation expects the prime minister to attend the opening ceremony and the president to attend the closing ceremony as chief guests. Senior representatives of international buyers and fashion influencers from different countries are also expected to participate.

PDS, an apparel sourcing company, will be the title sponsor of BATEXPO 2026.

Meanwhile, the BGMEA and HSBC Bangladesh will organise the “Bangladesh Apparel Roadshow, Hong Kong 2026” in Hong Kong on October 28 and 29 to promote Bangladesh’s apparel capabilities among international buyers and investors.

The roadshow will provide opportunities for direct engagement between Bangladeshi manufacturers, global buyers and institutional investors. It will highlight Bangladesh’s capabilities in verticality, innovation, sustainability, live showcases, synthetics and technical apparel.

“We are inviting new brands to come to Bangladesh through the Hong Kong roadshow,” Mahmud Hasan Khan said. He noted that HSBC has been operating in Bangladesh for more than 30 years and can share its experience with brands that have not yet sourced products from Bangladesh.

He said the BGMEA has also signed a strategic agreement with Bangladesh Brand Forum to reposition Bangladeshi garment factories globally as innovation-driven and modern manufacturing facilities rather than merely producers of low-cost products.

The BGMEA president said the association had been working for the past decade to diversify Bangladesh’s apparel export destinations.
“Of the nearly $40 billion in annual apparel exports, around $8 billion currently comes from new markets,” he said.

He added that the BGMEA is preparing to launch a Japan Desk to boost exports to Japan. Japanese-speaking officials will be appointed at the desk to address language-related communication challenges with Japanese buyers.