the shipment of apparel items to India is growing fast

Riding on the zero-duty trade benefit and competitive prices, the shipment of apparel items to India is growing fast, a development that would help Bangladesh narrow its trade gap with the neighbouring country.

Bangladesh is already a very lucrative source for formal shirts, tops, denim trousers, undergarments, polo shirts, t-shirts and bottoms for both men and women belonging to India's middle-income consumers.

Bangladesh shipped garment items worth $365.95 million in the July-December period of the current fiscal year, up 58.07 per cent from the $231.53 million recorded in the same period a year ago, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.

Of the receipts, $161.69 million came from knitwear shipments, up 66.46 per cent year-on-year. Woven garment shipments surged 52 per cent to $204.26 million at the same time