Bangladesh is one of the most preferred sourcing destinations owing to its low cost manufacturing. While this was true for low-end apparels till now, its competitive advantage is making way for high-end clothing as well. The country’s exports and sustainability have both grown faster than those of most of its global counterparts.

Bangladesh’s clothing manufacturers have been quite aggressive in making their factories greener. For starters, the top three LEED certified factories in the world are based in Bangladesh, the country has seven out of the top ten LEED certified apparel manufacturing plants. There are 67 factories in Bangladesh that are LEED certified, and 222 factories are on their way to becoming LEED certified.

Going by the trend, it will soon become the country with the most environment-friendly apparel industry and be an example for others to follow. Concepts such as lean manufacturing have improved efficiency. Among other things, the country’s success can be attributed to the academic institutions that have come up to address the demand for apparel education. In the past, their aim was to just provide basic education on merchandising but with industry expansion the curriculum has expanded to include engineering concentrations, part-time intensive diploma programs, and high-end fashion.