BRAC University and Swisscontact Bangladesh organised an event titled “Strengthening Local Capacity for Sustainable Industry” at the BRAC University campus in Dhaka on 3 May 2026, highlighting the growing importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) skills for Bangladesh’s industrial growth.

The event underscored how ESG has become central to market access, export competitiveness, investment readiness and long-term resilience for local industries. With global buyers, brands, regulators and investors increasingly focusing on responsible production, carbon transparency, labour standards, governance and sustainability reporting, stakeholders emphasised the need to build stronger local ESG capacity.

At the programme, findings from an ESG needs assessment conducted by BRAC University’s Department of Economics and Social Sciences were presented. Based on a survey of 106 professionals from the readymade garments, textile, banking and manufacturing sectors, the assessment found rising ESG awareness and strong demand for ESG-related training. It also identified skill gaps in areas such as ESG reporting, carbon accounting, risk management and sustainable finance.

Certificates were also awarded to the first cohort of 24 participants who completed a 60-hour professional ESG certificate course. The programme was developed by BRAC University under Swisscontact’s PROGRESS initiative, with support from the embassies of Sweden and Switzerland in Bangladesh, and was facilitated by academic experts and industry practitioners.

BRAC University Treasurer Ariful Islam delivered the welcome address, congratulating the participants and reaffirming the university’s commitment to advancing ESG education and strengthening academia-industry collaboration.

Around 80 stakeholders from industry associations, international brands, academic institutions and development organisations attended the event.

Speakers included Professor Dr Shahidur Rahman and Professor Dr Syed A Mamun of BRAC University; Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, Global Sustainability Manager at AB Lindex; Ikramul H Sohel, Senior Programme Officer at the Embassy of Sweden; and Farzana Amin, Team Leader of the PROGRESS project.

Through this collaboration, BRAC University and Swisscontact aim to strengthen locally relevant ESG knowledge and practical capacity to support Bangladesh’s transition towards greener and more sustainable industrial growth.