BATEXPO postponed amid garment unrest, wage uncertainty
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has postponed BATEXPO 2026, its flagship international apparel and textile exposition, amid mounting unrest in the garment industry, uncertainty over workers’ wages and concerns about the safety of foreign delegates.
The two-day Bangladesh Apparel & Textile Exposition, scheduled for November 18–19 after a hiatus of more than 13 years, will now take place in the last week of January 2027, BGMEA officials told Daily Waadaa.
The decision comes as Bangladesh’s largest export industry grapples with workers’ demands for higher wages, rising production costs and uncertainty over its business environment.
Mijanur Rahman, BGMEA vice president (finance) and a member of the BATEXPO Steering Committee, said the association decided against holding an expensive international event while the industry remained in crisis.
"Considering the present crisis in the RMG industry and the fact that the workers' wage structure has yet to be finalised, we have decided to postpone BATEXPO and reschedule it for the last week of January 2027," he told Daily Waadaa.
He said the association wanted the wage dispute resolved and stability restored before committing substantial resources to the exposition.
BATEXPO is designed to bring global apparel buyers, international brands, policymakers, investors and industry leaders together under one roof.
Organising an event of such scale requires considerable investment, Mijanur said, adding that BGMEA did not want to incur those expenses while the sector's immediate problems remained unresolved.
Security concerns also weighed on the decision.
Mijanur said the organisers had considered the safety of international guests, including foreign delegates, buyers and industry representatives expected to attend the exposition.
Nafis-Ud-Doula, a BGMEA director and member of the BATEXPO Steering Committee, said the industry needed to address its pressing challenges before hosting a major international gathering.
He said an exposition of this scale required extensive financial preparation, coordination and confidence among domestic and international participants.
Postponement would give organisers more time to prepare and secure meaningful participation from international stakeholders, he added.
Mohiuddin Rubel, a former BGMEA director and additional managing director of Denim Expert Ltd, said the decision reflected the pressures facing garment manufacturers.
The industry is struggling with workers' wage demands, increasing operational costs and uncertainty over the broader business environment, he said.
"However, this type of exposition definitely helps to create international branding, but considering the present situation, I think BGMEA took the right decision," Mohiuddin told Waadaa.
A major international showcase put on hold
According to the official BATEXPO website, the 2026 edition was planned as a Silver Jubilee celebration, bringing together the apparel and textile industry's entire supply chain through exhibitions, leadership discussions and networking events.
The programme includes four exhibitions showcasing more than 50 apparel groups across the supply chain.
Six summit panels are planned, bringing together chief executives, ministers and industry experts to discuss the sector's future.
More than 200 international brands, retailers and sourcing leaders are expected to participate.
The event is intended to give Bangladeshi manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their production capabilities, strengthen commercial relationships and explore new sourcing opportunities.
Buyers and sourcing executives would be able to engage directly with manufacturers.
A planned Green Factory Tour would allow international visitors to observe Bangladesh's manufacturing facilities and sustainability practices firsthand.
The exposition also aims to connect brand and retail executives, investors, development partners, policymakers and institutional representatives for discussions on sourcing, sustainability, technological innovation and the future of the apparel industry.
Another attraction is the proposed Sustainable and AI Hall, which will showcase advances in environmentally sustainable manufacturing and the adoption of artificial intelligence across the apparel supply chain.
The postponement will also affect plans to bring international media attention to Bangladesh's apparel and textile industry.
The organisers had identified global media engagement as a significant component of the exposition.
International outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times, Forbes, Vogue and TIME were featured under the event's planned global media coverage initiative.
Although BGMEA officials have confirmed that the exposition has been pushed to the last week of January 2027, the official BATEXPO website has yet to publish the revised dates.
The website says a new schedule will be announced soon.
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