Dhaka Textile Innovation Expo 2026 Draws 100 Brands and 5,000 Visitors

The TIE–ITET Textile Innovation Expo 2026 opened on November 12 at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka, positioning itself as a working platform for automation, resource efficiency and sustainable manufacturing in Bangladesh's export-driven textile and apparel sector.

The three-day event runs through November 14 at ICCB Hall 8. Organizers expect approximately 5,000 high-level visitors, including representatives of 100 brands and buyers, plus more than 200 international delegates from over 30 countries. For sourcing teams, that buyer concentration makes the expo a compact venue for supplier benchmarking.

Who is behind the expo?

Textile Innovation Exchange (TIE) presents the event in collaboration with the Institution of Textile Engineers and Technologists (ITET). The Textile Innovation Center (TIC) co-organizes it, Textile Today Innovation Hub (TTIH) implements it, and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA) hold it in association.

Engr. Ehsanul Karim Kaiser, Chairman of TIE, chaired the opening ceremony. Enamul Hafiz Latifee, Strategic and Reporting Lead at TIE, anchored and moderated the session.

Kaiser used the ceremony to argue for a durable industry platform. He highlighted the importance of establishing a venue where practical innovation, engineering expertise and technological solutions can contribute to Bangladesh's industrial development.

Which industry figures attended?

The guest list mapped the sector's institutional power structure:

• Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, President of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation (BEF)
• Dr. Md. Hasib Uddin, Director of BGMEA
• Nafis-Ud-Doula, Director of BGMEA and Director of Impress-Newtex Composite Textiles Ltd.
• Md. Abdul Hamid, President of BGBA
• Engr. Abdus Sobhan, Managing Director of Aukotex Group and ITET Advisory Committee member
• Engr. A.S.M. Hafizur Rahman Nixon, Executive Director of RH Corporation, a sister concern of Aziz Group

Kaiser handed mementos to the guests. The attendees then unveiled the Innovation Storybook, a compilation documenting innovations from 85 factories and suppliers, before cutting the ribbon and touring the exhibition stalls.

What is on show?

The expo runs four concurrent exhibitions: Dyeing and Printing, Textile Materials, Green and Sustainability, and Garments and Automation. Around 200 technology, machinery and solution providers are presenting advanced machinery, textile materials, automation systems, chemical processing technologies and other industrial solutions.

The Factory Innovation Pavilion anchors the show. Approximately 50 textile and apparel factories display innovations developed inside their own production facilities, demonstrating how manufacturers apply engineering knowledge to improve industrial processes — a signal for buyers assessing which suppliers invest in process upgrades rather than relying on low labor costs alone.

An Open Innovation Area gives researchers, universities, students and innovators space to present applied research, prototypes and emerging technologies. Technical seminars, live demonstrations and industry discussions run alongside, structured to encourage collaboration among manufacturers, brands, buyers, researchers and technology providers.

What happens on November 13?

The DSL Presents Textile Innovation Awards 2026 take place on November 13 at ICCB Hall 5. The awards recognize achievement across eight categories covering manufacturing, technology, product and market development, sustainability and organizational innovation.

Organizers frame the expo around four priorities for the sector: strengthening engineering capabilities, improving resource efficiency, diversifying products and increasing value addition. The stated goal is to make innovation a continuous industrial practice rather than an isolated achievement — a measurable proposition, given that 85 factories have already documented their innovations in the event's storybook.

The exhibition stays open at ICCB Hall 8, Dhaka, until November 14, giving brands and buyers two more days to audit the sector's engineering capabilities firsthand.