A study by a German Agency GIZ reveals Bangladesh could not grab a good share of the multibillion-dollar global technical textiles trade due to its lack of awareness of market requirements and adequate technical expertise. The feasibility study revealed these bottlenecks alongside the challenges and constraints facing the textile and apparel sector in making TT and PPE. Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA opines, Bangladeshi manufacturers did not have the experience of producing technical textiles and PPE before the COVID-19 pandemic and is now moving in that direction.

The GIZ's study will relate the actual scenario on Bangladesh's position in producing technical textiles and PPE and the lacking, he added. The strength of this new sub-sector will, however, depend on the ability of current textile and apparel industry to tweak its existing facilities to produce new PPE products made from technical textiles suitable for export orders in the most cost-efficient manner. The study states, global technical textile market will grow from $179.2 billion in 2020 to $224.4 billion by 2025, at an average annual growth rate of 4.2 per cent, while the global PPE market is likely to exceed $93 billion by the end of 2025.

Though Europe is a leading importer of medical textiles, demand from North America is expected to continue to grow, the study adds.