Mr. Noorul Quader, The Hero of Bangladesh RMG Sector

Abdul Alim : Desh Garments Ltd. (established 27th December 1977) was the first export-oriented ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. It was set-up in the joint venture with Daewoo of South Korea. At its time of inception, Desh was the single largest and most modern garment manufacturing unit in the sub-continent.

The import and introduction of garments technology itself is credited to Desh Garments Ltd. In 1978, Desh Garments sent 130 workers and management trainees to be trained at Daewoo’s state-of-the-art garment factories in South Korea. The 130 Desh-selected trainees returned home after a six-month training period to form the nucleus of the Ready Made Garment sector’s technology and its core human resource base. Desh Garment is seen as having given re-birth to the garments industry. It is a unique example of a company establishing an industry and against all odds. Despite severe national foreign exchange constraints and bureaucratic obstacles Desh became a very successful and competitive producer in the international market.

Desh Garments Ltd. was a twice recipient of the President’s National Award and Grand Prix for Commercial Quality 1988 in Europe, for highest export earnings for two consecutive years with annual exports of 5 million pieces. Desh Garments was also Bangladesh’s highest U.S. and Canadian quota holder for several years. Desh Garments Ltd. has always had an impeccable reputation throughout the industry for their consensus-based management approach and early adaptation of decentralized corporate management structure.

The founder of the group, Mr. M. Noorul Quader is acknowledged as the father of the 100% export-oriented ready-made garment industry, the innovator of the Bonded Warehouse system and the Back-to-Back Letter of Credit system, which is the backbone of the financial structure of the RMG industry.

Through the innovation of the Back-to-Back Letter of the Credit system, Mr. N Quader eliminated the need for cash working capital and the need for foreign exchange in the RMG industry. This allowed the opportunity for entrepreneurs to set-up factories with low capital investment and thus allowed rapid growth of the industry.

Despite having diversified into other activities, Desh Group’s core business continues to be apparel manufacturing. Desh Garments Ltd., also the first public limited company in the garment sector and listed and actively traded on the Dhaka Stock Exchange, continues to be the Group’s flagship company and a source of pride for the management.

Now the current export of Bangladesh Garments is more than 25 Billion US Dollar and we are expecting 50 Billion within 2021. That was the man Mr. Noorul Quader who dreamed for Bangladesh.

Writer : Editor & Publisher, The RMG Times.