The 15th edition of the Bangladesh Denim Expo began at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka today where Bangladesh is taking part as the top denim exporter in the world.

Eighty exhibitors from 12 countries are participating in the two-day expo this year with registered 5,000 visitors from home and abroad.

Bangladesh is the second largest apparel exporting country in the world but in case of denim the country is the largest exporter both in the EU and the USA, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said while inaugurating the expo.

"Bangladesh Denim Expo has a huge contribution behind the success of Bangladesh's denim export,'' the minister said.

Ziaur Rahman, H&M's country manager for Bangladesh, Pakistan and Africa, said his company has taken initiative to reduce carbon dioxide by 56 percent by 2030 by the factories from which H&M sources goods.

Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Md Siddiqur Rahman, former BGMEA president; SM Mannan Kochi, senior vice president of BGMEA, and Mostafiz Uddin, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE), were also present at the inauguration.