Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA, demanded a 10 per cent cash incentive on export of MMF-based garments from the government. He said this will bring in new export orders to the country which will create new employment.

He also urged the government to allow deferred payment of existing loans as many factories would have to shut down without the facility.

In order to protect employment in the industry, the government should provide support to the factories as the world has never experienced such a pandemic before, Faruqueadded.

He also demanded a stimulus package like that given in the previous year to pay workers’ wages for the months of April, May and June along with festival allowances.

Hasan said to encourage new orders, BGMEA aims to develop new products and tap new markets. He pointed out that cotton-based garments made up for 75 per cent of the global consumption while man-made fibre accounted for the remaining 25 per cent 30 to 35 years ago but now the consumption of MMF had increased to 75 per cent while that of cotton-based garments had declined to 25 per cent.

BGMEA is interested in working on MMFbased garments as the country’s exporters had already invested in technology and process modernization in the last 10 to 12 years, he added.