Bangladesh should now explore premium wool market: Hatem

BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem today  said Bangladesh's knitwear sector has built strong global credibility over the years, particularly in cotton-based products, and now should now explore premium and differentiated product categories, including wool and wool-rich knitwear.

"Bangladesh's next stage of growth will not come only from volume. It will come from value addition, product diversification, and stronger innovation," he said at an event titled "Woolmark Knitwear Seminar," was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and The Woolmark Company, a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, at a city hotel.

"While Bangladesh has already developed significant expertise in cotton-based knitwear, it should now explore premium and differentiated product categories, including wool and wool-rich knitwear," he said.

Hatem added that entering premium wool segments could help Bangladesh expand its product portfolio and strengthen its position in the global apparel market, where consumers are often willing to pay higher prices for quality, comfort, durability, and sustainability.

Representatives of The Woolmark Company at the event said Bangladesh has strong potential to manufacture and export wool-based knitwear by sourcing raw materials through Woolmark. 

They added that the organisation is ready to provide support to local manufacturers. Although wool accounts for only around 1.2% of the global apparel market by volume, it represents nearly 8% by value, highlighting its position as a premium and luxury fiber.

Woolmark Country Development Representative in Bangladesh Azeezur Rahman Khan said Bangladesh has already a strong knitwear manufacturing base and now has the opportunity to expand into more premium and differentiated product categories, including 100% wool programmes.

"As Bangladesh already has a strong knitwear base, as we all know, the opportunity now is to leverage that strength to enter more premium and differentiated categories," he said.

The BKMEA president also expressed hope that Woolmark would continue to support Bangladesh's manufacturers through technical expertise, product development, and collaborative opportunities.

Clinton Pobke, deputy head of mission at the Australian High Commission in Bangladesh, expressed his hope that Woolmark would continue supporting Bangladesh's manufacturers with technical knowledge, product development, and collaboration opportunities.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah, who joined the seminar virtually, said wool offers significant future potential as the apparel industry increasingly searches for sustainable and high-value alternatives.

"There is considerable curiosity and interest in new fibres, wool being one of them, and how we can reposition and realign the existing supply and value chains," he said.

Hamidullah also stressed the importance of blending fibres, technological innovation, and regional supply chain integration to make wool-based manufacturing commercially viable for entrepreneurs and manufacturers.

In FY25, Bangladesh earned $19.7 billion from apparel exports to the European Union (EU), accounting for 50.1% of its total apparel export earnings of $39.3 billion, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.

Speakers at the seminar said Bangladesh already has a strong apparel supply chain, which can now be leveraged to import Australian wool and produce higher-value products, including sportswear, premium knitwear and performance apparel for export to markets such as the EU, the US, the UK and Japan.

They said the growing global demand for natural and sustainable fibres creates a significant opportunity for Bangladesh to diversify beyond traditional cotton-based products and move into premium apparel categories.

However, industry stakeholders stressed that developing high-quality warehousing facilities and technical expertise will be crucial for expanding wool-based manufacturing. Since wool is sensitive to moisture, moths and microbial damage if not stored properly, manufacturers will need modern storage systems and skilled workers with technical knowledge on wool handling, processing and product development.