Netherlands urged not to cancel Bangladesh RMG orders

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen requested Netherlands Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Sigrid Kaag not to cancel or suspend orders given to the ready-made garments (RMG) factories here in Bangladesh during or after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Momen made the request while talking to Netherlands Minister Sigrid Kaag over phone, according to a foreign ministry press release issued on Thursday (April 30).

The Netherlands, one of the European destinations of Bangladesh garment products, has assured Dhaka that their buyers would not cancel or suspend orders given to the ready-made garments (RMG) factories here in the country.

The Dutch minister made the assurance as Momen raised the issue of cancellation of orders of Bangladesh RMG products by different European brands and buyers as the pandemic put global economy into tailspin.

The Bangladesh foreign minister mentioned that $3.18 billion worth of RMG orders have already been cancelled or suspended by international buyers, affecting 1,150 factories and 2.28 million workers in Bangladesh.

The Dutch minister informed that the Dutch government has set up a fund of 100 million Euros to help countries that need support because of COVID-19 pandemic.

The countries that are interested to use the fund would need to request for allocation, Sigrid Kaag told Momen.

Dhaka/Hasan/AI