Bangladesh apparel’s ranking slip: Victim of global pressures or a branding failure?

Vietnam has reclaimed second place in global ready-made garment exports, surpassing Bangladesh once again. According to the latest data from Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and Vietnam's National Statistics Office, Bangladesh's apparel exports stood at $38.82 billion in 2025, while Vietnam's reached $39.64 billion -- a margin of $817 million in Vietnam's favour.

Bangladesh had lost the second spot to Vietnam in 2020, only to recover it in 2021 and maintain that position through 2024, before slipping to third place once more in 2025.

Bangladesh's apparel exports have been on a downward trajectory since August 2025, recording a sharp 19.35% year-on-year decline in March 2026 -- marking eight consecutive months of falling exports.

Although exports rebounded sharply with 31.21% growth in April, the broader trend remains concerning. Cumulative apparel exports for July–April of fiscal year 2025–26 reached USD 31.72 billion, marking a 2.82% year-on-year decline. The April spike, however, was largely driven by technical factors — deferred shipments from the previous month, during which the Eid ul-Fitr holiday brought roughly ten days of industry downtime, were cleared in April, artificially concentrating export figures within a single month. A favourable base effect further amplified the growth reading, as apparel exports in April 2025 had been comparatively modest at USD 2.39 billion.

Many attribute this steep decline to global economic pressures. That is a fair point, but one must also reckon with the fact that competing nations managed to register growth under the same global conditions. In March 2026, Vietnam posted a 1.9% year-on-year increase. Even India -- the world's fifth largest apparel exporter -- recorded a growth of 2.1% in the financial year 2025–26.

Vietnam has also announced a target of USD 50 billion in apparel exports by 2026. Bangladesh had set a similar target back in 2014 -- aiming to reach USD 50 billion by 2021, a goal declared in the year following the Rana Plaza collapse. It is now 2026, and that target remains unmet.

One of the few silver linings of the tragic Rana Plaza incident was the sweeping transformation Bangladesh's apparel industry underwent, guided by national and international experts. The industry not only addressed its safety shortcomings but also made significant strides in sustainability.

Bangladesh is now home to the world's largest number of green garment factories certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), with 273 LEED-certified facilities -- well ahead of Vietnam's 230 and China's fewer than 100. Apparel entrepreneurs across the country continue to invest in eco-friendly production, automation, and practices that promote decent work.

In 2021, QIMA -- a Hong Kong-based supply chain compliance solutions provider -- ranked Bangladesh second globally in Ethical Manufacturing, with a score of 7.7, trailing only Taiwan's 8.0. Vietnam came in third, followed by Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey, China, India, and Brazil.

Despite all of this commendable progress, the country's apparel export performance continues to lag behind its competitors. One of the principal reasons is that the industry has failed, quite conspicuously, to tell its own positive story to the world.

Bangladesh's apparel industry has undergone a profound transformation -- but the world has been slow to take notice. Overshadowed by the enduring media focus on Rana Plaza (even international media reports galore on 23^rd April this year, marking the date of the Rana Plaza accident even after a decade), the industry's extraordinary journey of reform and renewal remains one of the most underreported stories in global manufacturing.

I will be the first to acknowledge that our apparel industry is far from perfect. Complacency has no place in this conversation, and the pursuit of improvement must remain constant. But it is no exaggeration to say that Bangladesh's apparel industry today ranks among the safest in the world.

And yet, this progress remains largely invisible to western audiences. The positive story of our industry has gone untold for far too long. This is where our national media has a critical role to play -- by bringing these stories to the surface and giving them the prominence they deserve.

In a digital age, no story stays local for long. Reports published by our national media are accessible to a global readership, and international outlets frequently draw from them. When positive narratives begin to dominate the domestic media landscape, it becomes increasingly difficult for the international press to sustain a one-sided portrayal of our industry.

This is not a call to silence criticism -- constructive scrutiny must continue, and the media must hold the industry accountable. But branding Bangladesh's apparel sector -- the very lifeline of our economy -- is a collective responsibility. We must ask ourselves what each of us can do to shift the global narrative, and then stand united in delivering that message to the world.

The government must also project a strong, positive message on the international stage -- affirming that the apparel sector has always been backed by supportive state policies, and that this commitment will endure. Both the government and industry trade bodies must send a unified, reassuring signal to buyers: Bangladesh's apparel industry is here to stay, and it will only emerge stronger in the days ahead.

Challenges such as the ongoing energy crisis are no more than a momentary disruption -- one that is firmly under control. Backed by over four decades of experience, Bangladesh's apparel industry has the maturity and resilience to absorb global geopolitical pressures and continue on its growth trajectory. This is an industry that has weathered far greater storms in the past -- and each time, it has not merely survived, but come back stronger than before.

The onus also lies with the apparel factories themselves. The good practices they exercise on both environmental and social fronts must be actively promoted by them. Social media platforms have made it easier than ever to share these stories with the world. If every factory were to document and broadcast their best practices across social and digital channels, the cumulative impact of that content could decisively shift the narrative, positioning 'Made in Bangladesh' as a prestigious and preferred choice for international buyers and consumers alike.

Abdullah Hil Nakib is the Deputy Managing Director of Team Group.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.