Bangladesh textile industry witnessed a strong display of interest in advanced textile machinery, technology and Bangladesh–China industrial cooperation as ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 Road Shows were held in Narayanganj on September 1 and Dhaka on September 2, bringing together around 185 participants across the two events.
The two programmes attracted textile and apparel industry leaders, business representatives, textile professionals and other stakeholders, while a four-member Chinese delegation participated in the road-show activities and interacted with Bangladeshi industry representatives.
The events were organised to promote ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, which will be held from November 20 to 24, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), China. The exhibition is jointly owned by CEMATEX, CCPIT TEX, the China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China International Exhibition Center Group (CIEC), and is positioned as a leading business platform for textile machinery in Asia.
Narayanganj road show highlights industry and China cooperation
The first programme was held on September 1 at the Narayanganj Club, with approximately 85 people, including Directors from BKMEA, Vice President of NCCI and Director, NCCI along with Chinese delegates and distinguished speakers.
The programme began with guest arrival, registration and preliminary networking, followed by a screening of an ITMA ASIA + CITME Road Show event video.
After the formal opening and prayer session, Shawkat Iqbal, Editor-in-Chief of Bangladesh Textile Journal, delivered the welcome speech.
The industry perspective was presented by Ratan Kumar Saha, Director, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and Managing Director of P.M. Knittex Pvt. Ltd. His participation brought the perspective of Bangladesh’s knitwear and apparel manufacturing sector into the discussion on technology and industrial development.
Representing the Chinese textile machinery industry, Liu Ge, Director, China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), delivered an address on the Chinese textile machinery sector. His participation provided Bangladeshi industry professionals with an opportunity to gain insight into developments in China’s textile machinery industry and explore possibilities for closer industrial cooperation.
A dedicated presentation on ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 was delivered by Liu Dan, Business Supervisor, China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), introducing the exhibition and its significance for the Asian textile industry. She gave a thorough and detail presentation on overall ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 exhibition.
The programme also focused strongly on Bangladesh–China business relations. Md. Abu Jafar, Vice President of the Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered an address on Bangladesh–China industry cooperation, while Zakaria Wahid, Director, Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shared business remarks.
An open question-and-answer session then allowed participants to interact directly with members of the Chinese delegation and Bangladeshi industry representatives.
The formal programme concluded with an official group photograph, followed by networking and dinner, giving participants further opportunities to develop professional and business contacts.
Dhaka road show draws around 100 participants
The second road show took place on September 2 at Magnolia Hall, Lakeshore Heights, Gulshan-1, Dhaka, attracting approximately 100 participants from Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry.
The Dhaka programme featured a broader range of industry presentations and discussions covering the textile industry, Bangladesh–China business relations, Chinese textile machinery development, technology requirements and the significance of ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026.
Following guest arrival and networking, the programme proceeded with the formal opening and prayer session.
Shawkat Iqbal, Editor-in-Chief, Bangladesh Textile Journal, delivered the welcome speech.
An important industry perspective was subsequently delivered by Mohd Khorshed Alam, Director, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and President, BCCCI, focusing on Bangladesh’s textile industry and Bangladesh–China business relations.
Liu Ge, Director, CTMA, again represented the Chinese textile machinery industry and discussed its current development, providing Bangladeshi participants with an international perspective on machinery and technology.
The technology needs of Bangladesh’s textile machinery sector were addressed by Abdullah Al Mamun, Spokesperson, BTMA, while “Tang Rong, Director, BJITME” presented an introduction to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 and discussed the exhibition’s significance for the Asian textile industry.
Mohammad Abdullah Zaber, Managing Director, Noman Group and Editor, Bangladesh Textile Journal, also was present and presented the crests among the speakers and ITMA ASIA + CITME delegates. ITMA ASIA + CITME delegates also handed over gifts to the local guest speakers.
The Dhaka event concluded with an interactive Q&A session involving the speakers and Chinese delegation, followed by an official group photograph, prayer break and networking session over coffee and snacks.
Focus on technology, modernization and competitiveness
A common theme running through both road shows was the growing importance of technological advancement for Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry.
The programmes provided an opportunity for Bangladeshi manufacturers and professionals to learn about developments in textile machinery while discussing the industry’s future technology requirements.
This is particularly relevant as textile manufacturers face increasing pressure to improve productivity, automation, energy efficiency, quality, sustainability and overall production competitiveness.
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 is expected to provide a comprehensive showcase of technologies across the textile manufacturing value chain, including spinning, man-made fibres, weaving, knitting, printing, dyeing and finishing, nonwovens, embroidery, garment manufacturing, recycling, testing and packaging.
The 2026 edition will also place increased emphasis on intelligent and sustainable manufacturing, with new areas covering textile-reinforced composites, textile recycling, digital platforms, production-process automation and other emerging technologies.
Stronger Bangladesh–China industry engagement
The presence of the Chinese delegation at the road shows added an important international dimension to the programmes.
Direct interaction between Chinese textile machinery representatives and Bangladeshi manufacturers created opportunities to discuss machinery, technology, industrial requirements and potential business cooperation.
For Bangladesh’s textile sector, China remains an important source of textile machinery and technology, making direct engagement between the two industry communities particularly relevant.
The road shows also demonstrated the importance of combining exhibition promotion with industry dialogue and business networking, allowing potential visitors to understand not only what will be displayed at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 but also why new technologies may be important for their own manufacturing operations.
Shanghai exhibition expected to showcase next-generation technologies
The upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 in Shanghai will occupy seven exhibition halls, covering approximately 180,000 square metres, representing a 10% increase in exhibition area compared with the previous edition. The organisers say the show will focus strongly on intelligent and sustainable manufacturing.
The exhibition will bring together machinery and technology covering the entire textile manufacturing chain and will include new technology segments such as automation, digitalisation, textile recycling and textile-reinforced composites. A dedicated research and innovation area will also showcase developments involving Chinese universities and industry–academia–research collaboration.
Road shows strengthen momentum ahead of Shanghai
The Narayanganj and Dhaka Road shows therefore served as important platforms for connecting Bangladesh’s textile industry with the international textile machinery community ahead of the Shanghai exhibition.
With approximately 85 participants in Narayanganj and 100 in Dhaka, the two programmes attracted around 185 participants in total, including industry leaders, textile professionals, speakers and volunteers.
The participation of the Chinese delegation, representatives of BTMA and BKMEA, chamber leaders and senior textile industry figures further strengthened the business-to-business character of the programmes.
The two-day road-show initiative highlighted a shared industry priority: Bangladesh’s future competitiveness will depend increasingly on access to modern machinery, intelligent manufacturing, sustainable technologies and stronger international industrial partnerships.
As the textile machinery industry prepares for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 in Shanghai from November 20–24, the Dhaka and Narayanganj programmes have provided Bangladeshi textile stakeholders with an important opportunity to prepare for the next generation of textile manufacturing technology.
