Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry has received a significant endorsement on the global stage with the announcement that celebrity Coleen Rooney has signed a multi-million-pound partnership with British fast-fashion retailer Primark to launch a new athleisure collection that will be manufactured predominantly in Bangladesh.
The move highlights Bangladesh’s central role in the global apparel supply chain and comes at a time when the country is consolidating its position as one of the world’s leading garment exporters.
The forthcoming athleisure line, developed in collaboration with Primark, will be produced largely in the Savar and Gazipur industrial belts, where Bangladesh’s manufacturing clusters have become hubs for high-volume, compliance-driven garment production.
Primark’s reliance on Bangladesh is already substantial, with industry data showing that the country accounted for more than $1.2 billion of the retailer’s sourced garments in the last fiscal year. Nearly 94 percent of Primark’s global apparel supply chain is linked to Bangladeshi factories, underscoring the scale of local involvement in meeting international retail demand.
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The partnership is also taking place against the backdrop of significant strides in sustainable manufacturing in Bangladesh. A large number of factories in the country have achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, with recent reports showing two more facilities in Gazipur earning prestigious green ratings. These certifications reflect advanced efforts in energy saving, water management and waste reduction, positioning Bangladesh as a leader in environmentally responsible production.
Economists and industry analysts view the Coleen Rooney-Primark collaboration as both a branding milestone and a strategic signal to international buyers. If the Rooney athleisure range performs well in the UK and European markets, observers say it could pave the way for additional celebrity and designer collaborations to be manufactured in Bangladesh.
Beyond celebrity ties, Bangladesh’s apparel industry continues to evolve toward higher-value products, advanced fabric engineering and improved sustainability credentials, all of which are seen as essential for maintaining competitiveness amid shifting global demand and regulatory requirements in major export destinations.
