The textile industry is a fundamental pillar of Bangladesh’s economy, significantly contributing to GDP, employment, and foreign exchange reserves. However, the sector faces challenges such as reliance on imported raw materials, sustainability concerns, and limited export diversification. This study investigates public awareness, economic impact, and industry perceptions through a survey, analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and Chi-Square tests. The results reveal a significant relationship (p < .001) between familiarity with the textile sector and recognition of its export contributions, with highly familiar participants identifying ready-made garments (77.6%) as the main export. Gender-based differences were also observed (p < .001), as women (75.3%) more often identified China as the top raw material supplier, while men showed greater variability, with higher recognition of India and other suppliers. It is also highlighted that familiarity with the textile industry significantly impacts perceptions of foreign exchange reserves (p < .001) and familiarity with the textile industry strongly influences perceptions of its impact on foreign exchange reserves (p < .001), with business owners showing the highest awareness and males more confident than females. Additionally, findings indicate that business owners exhibit the highest confidence in the industry's economic stability, whereas homemakers and educators show greater uncertainty. Addressing these challenges through investments in sustainable technologies, workforce training programs encouraging local production of raw materials, broadening export offerings, and adopting gender-sensitive policies will be crucial for maintaining Bangladesh’s competitive edge in the global market and fostering long-term industry resilience.
Meela et al. (Thu,) studied this question.