The story of growth of the garment sector and the textile sector supporting it are well known. By 1985, industrial development in Bangladesh had made very little progress and the focus on import substitution as the basis for development of manufacturing growth had failed. The basis for a shift to export-led growth was rejected by the government planners believing that it was impossible to expect Bangladesh to become competitive in the international markets. This pessimistic view was deeply rooted in the thinking of most of the senior economists in Bangladesh who had been trained in Britain. This pessimism that resulted in the weak performance of the British economy for decades was accepted in Bangladesh. Surprisingly, a few of the Korean companies believed it was possible to develop competitive export industries making garments. The quota system in place meant that exports from Bangladesh were initially free of quota restrictions so if the Bangladeshi workers were able to produce the clothes at a competitive wage rate, then there would be a future for Bangladesh in the global textile market.
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