Midland Bank hosts workshop to boost ESG capacity in textile sector
Midland Bank PLC has organised a two-day training workshop titled "Capacity Building of Textile and Apparel Businesses in Bangladesh under the Green Supply Chain Transition Programme" at Hotel Bengal Blueberry in Gulshan, Dhaka, on 28–29 May 2025.
The initiative was supported by the Global Supply Chain Support Fund, a joint venture of Aavishkaar Capital, India, and KfW, the German Development Bank.
Compliance officials from various textile and apparel businesses—clients of Midland Bank—took part in the workshop, which was conducted by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) experts from Intellecap and its initiative, the Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF).
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The sessions covered a range of vital issues, including environmental and social compliance, emerging brand requirements in the European Union and the United States, and global reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
AFM Shahed, Principal at Intellecap, remarked, "At Intellecap's Circular Apparel Innovation Factory, we believe the future of Bangladesh's textile industry lies in embracing circularity and sustainability. Our partnership with Midland Bank PLC will equip suppliers with tools to meet global brand expectations, adopt practical decarbonisation solutions, and build competitive, future-ready supply chains."
Md Ahsan-uz Zaman, Managing Director and CEO of Midland Bank PLC, addressed the participants and stated, "The future of the clothing and garment sector is not just about fashion—it is about responsibility, transparency, and transformation. It is high time we invested in clean technologies, ensured ethical labour conditions, and embraced global standards like GRI and SBTi—not as a burden, but as a roadmap to a sustainable and competitive future."
The inaugural session was also attended by Md Zahid Hossain, Deputy Managing Director; Mohd Javed Tarek Khan, Head of Institutional Banking Division; Khondkar Towfique Hossain, Head of International Division and NRB; Maruf Haider, Executive Vice President, Institutional Banking Division; and Sushanta Sekhar Deb, Head of Treasury and Market Risk (Front), among others from Midland Bank PLC.
Abhishek Mittal, Partner – Credit at Aavishkaar Capital, commented, "This collaboration between Aavishkaar's Global Supply Chain Support Fund, Intellecap, and Midland Bank is a timely step toward strengthening the ESG readiness of Bangladesh's textile suppliers. By building ESG and reporting capabilities, we aim to help businesses align with global standards and attract green capital. We thank KfW Development Bank and its technical assistance facility for their support."
The workshop was organised and facilitated by AFM Shahed, Country Manager, Intellecap; Dhiman Halder, Manager, Intellecap; Hasan Monir and Bayazid Bustami, senior consultants from Engineering Resources International (ERI) Ltd.
Sowmya Suryanarayanan, Director of Impact and ESG at Aavishkaar Capital, and Siddharth Lulla, Partner, Business Consulting and Research, Intellecap Advisory Services Pvt Ltd, also facilitated sessions virtually.
