CREATE Project Discusses Circular Economy Policy Priorities and Upcoming Programme with BGMEA

August 19, 2026

Figure 1. Members of the CREATE Project team with Ms. Vidiya Amrit Khan, Vice President of BGMEA, during the meeting at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka.

Members of the CREATE (Circular Economy in Bangladesh’s Apparel Industry) Project team, led by Dr. Mohammad Bakhtiar Rana, Project Leader and Associate Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark, met with Ms. Vidiya Amrit Khan, Vice President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka.

The meeting focused on the progress of the CREATE Project, emerging research findings, and upcoming activities related to policy development for accelerating the circular economy transition in Bangladesh’s apparel industry.

A key focus of the discussion was the upcoming CREATE programme scheduled for February 2027, which will provide a platform for presenting CREATE’s policy recommendations on the circular economy transition and bringing together relevant local and international stakeholders to share their insights and perspectives.

During the meeting, Ms. Vidiya Amrit Khan emphasized the importance of a supportive policy environment for accelerating the circular economy transition of Bangladesh’s apparel sector. She highlighted policy issues, particularly taxation and VAT, as important considerations in creating an enabling environment for businesses to invest in and adopt circular economy practices.

Building on this discussion, Dr. Mohammad Bakhtiar Rana emphasized that advancing the circular transition will require collective efforts from industry, academia, government, and other relevant stakeholders. He also highlighted the importance of developing a shared understanding of what the circular transition entails, as such a common understanding can help stakeholders work towards practical and coordinated solutions.

In this context, the upcoming February programme will provide an important platform for presenting CREATE’s policy recommendations and bringing together stakeholders from Bangladesh and abroad to share their insights. Industry representatives, including BGMEA, policymakers, international stakeholders, and other relevant actors will have the opportunity to discuss the recommendations and provide perspectives that can inform practical policy pathways for Bangladesh’s apparel industry.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between industry and academia in shaping practical and implementable policy approaches. As a key industry stakeholder and partner of the CREATE Project, BGMEA’s perspectives provide valuable insights into the policy, regulatory, and business considerations that may influence the adoption of circular economy practices across the apparel sector.

The meeting formed part of CREATE’s ongoing stakeholder engagement, through which research findings and policy perspectives are discussed with industry stakeholders and other relevant actors to strengthen the relevance and applicability of the project’s work.

The meeting brought together members of the CREATE research team, including Dr. S. M. Shafiul Alam, Researcher and Professor at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST); Dr. Fahmida Mostafiz, Researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Dhaka; Dr. Masrurul Mowla, Researcher and Adjunct Professor at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology; Mr. Hasan Imam, Mr. Kazi Md Jamshed, and Mr. Faik Hamza, PhD Fellows at Aalborg University, Denmark; and Ms. Sabrin Nahar, Research Associate with the CREATE Project.

CREATE is a research and capacity-building project funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through DANIDA. Led by Aalborg University Business School, Denmark, and implemented with partner institutions and stakeholders in Bangladesh, including Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology and BGMEA, the project investigates the circular economy transition in global apparel value chains linked to Bangladesh’s apparel industry.

Through research, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building, CREATE aims to contribute to evidence-based policy development and practical strategies for supporting a more circular, sustainable, and inclusive apparel industry in Bangladesh.Media Coverage