Unravelling Bangladesh's Informal Manufacturing Sector With a Focus on Textile and Garments

Abstract

Through the course of this chapter, a detailed examination of Bangladesh's informal manufacturing sector, focussing on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) devoted to implementing green and sustainable practices, has been explored. This chapter explores and delves deeper into major sectors, notably textiles and garments, to understand the reasons for their growth and their contribution to the development of the nation. This chapter aims to explore the MSMEs of Bangladesh's contribution to the growth of the nation and identify the bottlenecks hindering their development in detail. The informal sector, dominantly ruled by the textile and garments industry, is the main focus of this chapter, which focuses on the investigation of their growth factors. Afterwards, the chapter provides particular recommendations to encourage sustainability in the informal manufacturing sector, focussing on green and sustainable ways. Case studies from the textile and garment industries are provided as benchmarks, proving the importance of technology development and talent cultivation in confronting hindrances. The chapter calls for the design of broad macroeconomic policies intended to promote sustainable practices within the MSME sector of Bangladesh. It highlights the paramount importance of policies that promote greener working methods, especially in the textile and clothing sectors, in tune with Bangladesh's particular economic pathway. This chapter therefore acts as a critical reference to policymakers, researchers, and the private sector, drawing lessons from other jurisdictions as well as from international bodies on the capabilities of the textile and apparel sector of Bangladesh.

Citation

Mishra, N., Jain, M., Jain, P. and Chattopadhyay, N. (2024), "Unravelling Bangladesh's Informal Manufacturing Sector With a Focus on Textile and Garments", Pal, M.K. and Das, P. (Ed.) Informal Manufacturing and Environmental Sustainability, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 293-304. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-998-620241021