The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) hosted a high-level dinner in Dhaka on 25 November 2025 in honour of H.E. Sardor Rustambaev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to India, signalling a renewed push toward strategic collaboration in textiles, trade, and investment.
The event brought together senior officials, business leaders, and industry representatives from both countries to identify new opportunities across the textile–apparel value chain and strengthen bilateral commercial ties.
In his address, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem described Uzbekistan as an increasingly important regional hub for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. He urged the Uzbek government to:
- Open an embassy in Dhaka to deepen diplomatic engagement
- Restore direct air connectivity to facilitate trade, travel, and investment
- Encourage Uzbek companies to explore partnerships in Bangladesh’s fast-growing textile, garment, and manufacturing sectors
He noted that enhanced connectivity would unlock significant untapped potential between two complementary economies.
BKMEA Vice President Mohammad Rashed presented an overview of the current trade landscape, outlining:
- Rising two-way trade opportunities
- Existing bottlenecks in customs and logistics
- The need for simpler and more transparent trade procedures
- Sector-specific pathways for expanding cotton, yarn, and garment cooperation
He emphasised that improved trade facilitation would be key to accelerating joint ventures and long-term partnerships.
Ambassador Sardor Rustambaev underscored Uzbekistan’s position as a major global cotton exporter and expressed strong interest in leveraging Bangladesh’s world-class expertise in textile and apparel manufacturing.
He emphasised Uzbekistan’s ambition to modernise its own textile industry through:
- Technical cooperation
- Capacity building
- Investment partnerships
- Knowledge exchange with Bangladesh’s globally competitive knitwear and apparel sector
He also noted that earlier engagement between the two countries could have created even deeper collaboration by now.
The evening concluded with BKMEA reaffirming its commitment to advancing Bangladesh–Uzbekistan cooperation across:
- Cotton and fibre supply chains
- Textile and garment manufacturing
- Trade and investment flows
- Broader industrial and economic collaboration
The event marks a promising step toward a more structured and strategically aligned partnership between the two nations—one that leverages Bangladesh’s manufacturing strength and Uzbekistan’s fibre resources to build mutually beneficial growth.
