The lab will be set up with the help of Integrated Support to Poverty and Inequality Reduction through Enterprise Development (INSPIRED) project funded by the ministry of industries and the European Union (EU).The laboratory is expected to strengthen the industrial capacity of the readymade garment accessories sector of Bangladesh, according to Bangladeshi media reports. The president of BGAPMEA, Abdul Kader Khan, said that product testing is a requirement for buyers and can help the sector to meet buyers’ demands of quality products.

Facilities such as moisture meter, touchscreen bursting strength tester, drop tester, crush tester, moisture meter, box compression strength tester, cobb absorbency tester and run tests among others will be provided at the laboratory.The garment accessories and packaging industry contributed $6.12 billion to apparel exports in the last fiscal, recording a growth of 9.28 per cent compared to $5.6 billion in the previous year, according to a recent research. The accessories used in readymade garments are produced by about 1,400 manufacturers in Bangladesh, which collectively employ 3 lakh people.BGAPMEA also plans to launch a training institute in Bangladesh.