As the pandemic is expected to stay longer, suppliers in the Bangladesh readymade garment (RMG) industry now see a new prospect in PPEs, especially masks and gown. Public health experts recommend mask-wearing as a protective measure to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

Many apparel manufacturers are now exporting face masks in bulk. But demand for gown from buyers has not seen an improvement.Industry insiders say that encouraged by higher demand for PPEs at home and abroad, many entrepreneurs are now making an investment on mask-production and added that the export amount of domestically produced PPEs will increase in the days to come. “New investment is also coming.”

Sources at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA) said the export amount of masks increased by 883 percent to $ 2.69 crore between March and July this year from $ 27 lakh in the same period of last year.

According to the BGMEA’s data, in June this year, the number of masks in total exported to different countries stood at 1.9 crores which reached 1.24 crore in July recording a 1117 percent uptick in export compared to the same period in 2019.