The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and CottonConnect Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 6, 2026, aimed at promoting domestic cotton production, developing a sustainable and traceable cotton supply chain, and strengthening market linkages for locally produced cotton in Bangladesh.
The agreement was signed during a meeting held at the BTMA office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The BTMA delegation was led by its President Showkat Aziz Russell, while the CottonConnect delegation was headed by Chief Executive Officer Alison Ward.During the meeting, both parties discussed several strategic issues related to the development of Bangladesh’s cotton sector, including the government’s target of producing 0.5 million bales of cotton by 2030, the existing 1% tax at source on the supply of domestic cotton to export-oriented industries, and other policy challenges affecting the sector.
BTMA urged the government to withdraw the existing source tax on cotton, stating that such a move would encourage greater domestic cotton cultivation and utilization across the country’s textile and apparel industries.
Under the MoU, BTMA and CottonConnect will collaborate on initiatives related to regenerative farming practices, traceability systems, ESG reporting, capacity building, policy advocacy, and international cotton supply chain linkages.
The meeting highlighted that increasing local cotton production would help reduce import dependency, shorten production lead times, save foreign currency, and enhance the confidence of international buyers in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sector.
Among others present at the meeting were BTMA Directors Mohd. Khorshed Alam, Syed Enayat Kabir and Rubaiyat Haider. Representing CottonConnect were Abou Bakar and consultant Dr. Farid Uddin.
