The Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Alliance (BAYLA) will host a two-day summit later this month, bringing together more than 1,500 industry leaders, policymakers, executives and young professionals to discuss the future competitiveness of Bangladesh's apparel and textile sector.
The BAYLA Future Summit 2026, themed "Think Beyond Today", will be held on July 20-21 at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka, organisers announced at a press briefing on Saturday.
The summit is expected to attract more than 1,500 participants, including over 500 chief executives and senior corporate executives, as well as more than 20 local and international speakers. Discussions will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), Industry 4.0, sustainability and ESG, finance and IPO readiness, entrepreneurship, policy reforms, global sourcing trends, and data-driven decision-making.
The programme will feature keynote addresses by Kutubuddin Ahmed, Chairman of Envoy Textiles Ltd; Faruque Hassan, former President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Mashrur Arefin, Managing Director and CEO of City Bank PLC; Dr M Masrur Reaz, Chairman and CEO of Policy Exchange Bangladesh; Nuzhat Anwar, CEO of LankaBangla Securities; Hasnaeen Rizvi Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Data Bird; Lisa Ramershoven, Programme Manager at the German development agency GIZ; and Fazle Shamim Ehsan, Executive President of BKMEA, who will discuss the industry's opportunities and challenges in the coming decade.
A major attraction of the event will be BAYLA Future Leaders 2026, a nationwide inter-university case competition aimed at connecting academia with real industry challenges. Shortlisted teams will present their solutions to industry leaders during the summit.
Speaking at the press briefing, BAYLA leaders said the organisation is working to develop the next generation of industry leaders and support Bangladesh's ambition to become the world's most sustainable apparel sourcing destination by 2030.
BAYLA President Abrar Hossain Sayem said Bangladesh has earned global recognition as a manufacturing hub and now needs to strengthen innovation, leadership and sustainability to become a global industry leader.
Hasin Arman Ayon, First Vice-President of BAYLA and Event Director of the summit, said the platform would foster collaboration among business leaders, policymakers, academia and young professionals to develop practical solutions for building a future-ready apparel industry.
Huawei is the title sponsor of the summit, while Envoy Legacy, A&E (American & Efird) (BD) Ltd, Sunrise Zhejiang Risun Intelligent Technology Co Ltd, and Transcom are powering the event.
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