A 23-member Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) delegation met President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at Bangabhaban on 21 September 2026 and handed over written proposals it says would save roughly Tk 300 billion in foreign exchange by substituting imported cotton yarn with local production.

BTMA President Showkat Aziz Russell led the delegation, which included former President Abdul Hai Sarker, Vice Presidents Md. Shamim Islam and Shafiqul Islam Sarker, and current and former directors. Major General A S M Bahauddin, Military Secretary to the President, and Public Division Secretary A. J. M. Salahuddin Nagar also attended.

The Tk 300 billion figure refers to the value of cotton yarn Bangladesh imported in FY2024–25 that BTMA argues domestic mills can produce themselves, provided a new revenue order stays in force.

Which customs decision is at stake?

The mills' case rests on National Board of Revenue Order No. 51/2026/Customs/519, dated 7 September 2026. The order withdrew the bond facility for imports of 10–30 count cotton yarn under HS Headings 5205, 5206 and 5207, while allowing genuine exporters to import yarn through bank guarantee.

BTMA wants the order upheld. It calculates that sustained enforcement would cut imports of cotton yarn that local mills can supply, delivering the foreign-exchange savings tied to FY2024–25 import volumes.

What did BTMA propose?

The written submission to the President listed five policy measures:

• Keep NBR Order No. 51/2026/Customs/519 in force, so bond-facility imports of 10–30 count yarn (HS 5205, 5206, 5207) stay withdrawn while genuine exporters import via bank guarantee — a move BTMA links to the Tk 300 billion import substitution potential.
• Reinstate the 30% local value-addition condition on raw material imports against bank guarantees for non-bonded industries, and set a minimum 40% local value addition on all exports to stay competitive after LDC graduation.
• Formulate a comprehensive Textile & Apparel Competitiveness Policy benchmarked against competitor countries, integrating tariff, tax, energy, financing and export support instruments.
• Maintain the current improved gas supply to industry, with adequate pressure and uninterrupted flow.
• Strengthen monitoring, verification and legal enforcement to prevent misuse of the bond facility.

Why does gas supply matter to the mills?

Russell told the President that gas supply to industrial sectors, particularly textile and spinning mills, has recently improved and the change is lifting production. He thanked the government for the initiatives and pressed for the situation to be maintained, framing reliable energy as a condition for protecting industrial output, employment and export capacity.

The meeting also reviewed conditions in the primary textile and export-oriented apparel sectors, and the policy support BTMA says both tiers need for sustainable development and export competitiveness after Bangladesh leaves the least developed country category.

What decision does this force?

For sourcing teams buying Bangladeshi yarn and fabric, the immediate question is whether NBR Order No. 2026/51 survives industry pushback. If enforced, importers of 10–30 count cotton yarn lose the bond facility unless they qualify as genuine exporters using bank guarantees — a structural shift of demand toward domestic spinners. Buyers should also track whether the proposed 40% local value-addition floor advances, since it would directly reshape how apparel export orders in Bangladesh are costed and fulfilled post-LDC graduation.