Bangladesh supplying World Cup sportswear, flags

The kits of the football teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2018 have been made in Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Mother Color Ltd)

• Bangladesh produces sportswear for famous international brands such as Adidas, Puma, Nike, G-Star, H&M and Marks & Spencer.
• Some Bangladeshi manufacturers produce player and fan jerseys for famous European football clubs throughout the year.

DHAKA: The kits of the football teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2018, which starts on June 14, have been made in Bangladesh.
The country is supplying an array of products — including jerseys, jackets, socks, shorts and national flags — valued at about $100 million.
There are three types of jerseys: Player jerseys, fan jerseys and country jerseys. Plummy Fashions has exported 70,000 fan jerseys. Its managing director, A. K. M. Fazlul Huq, told Arab News that the price will vary according to retail outlet, but will not be less than $12 each.
Mother Color Ltd. has exported around 220,000 jackets, completing the shipment order three months ago.
“We charged $4.50 for each jacket, but for retailers the selling price will be no less than $70,” said Mansoor Ahmed, managing director of Mother Color.
Bangladesh produces sportswear for famous international brands such as Adidas, Puma, Nike, G-Star, H&M and Marks & Spencer, he added. But producers see less profits than importers, retailers and shipping agents, he said.
Apart from Plummy Fashions and Mother Color, there are around 100 other garment giants in Bangladesh supplying the World Cup, including AJI Group, Hatim Garments and Fakir Apparels Ltd.
Some Bangladeshi manufacturers produce player and fan jerseys for famous European football clubs throughout the year.
Due to the absence of direct banking transactions between Bangladesh and Russia, which is hosting this year’s World Cup, such transactions have gone through the Middle East or South Africa, said Sulav Chowdhury, CEO of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).
“Due to this limitation, Russian brands couldn’t place direct orders to Bangladeshi producers,” he added.
“We could’ve had many more export orders if we had direct banking transactions with Russia.”