Garment factories in Bangladesh: how many, where, and what they make

Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest clothing exporters, and almost all of that clothing is made in a few dense industrial clusters around Dhaka and Chattogram. Here is what the public data says about how many export garment factories there are, where they are, and what they make.

How many garment factories are there?

Counts depend on the definition, because some factories export directly, some work as subcontractors, and some are members of more than one trade association. The most transparent public count is Mapped in Bangladesh, a database of export-oriented garment factories. On 18 September 2026 its homepage showed 3,320 factories. Industry associations such as BGMEA (woven and general garments) and BKMEA (knitwear) keep their own member lists.

How much do they export?

According to Export Promotion Bureau data reported by Textile Focus, Bangladesh’s garment exports reached US$39.35 billion in FY2024–25, up 8.84% on the year before. Knitwear grew 9.73% and woven garments 7.82%. The European Union took 50.10% of garment exports (US$19.71 billion) and the United States 19.18% (US$7.54 billion).

Where are the factories?

• Dhaka: buying offices, sample rooms, testing laboratories and the main airport.
• Gazipur: the largest cluster of export knit and woven factories.
• Narayanganj: the historic textile centre, known for knitwear, hosiery and fleece.
• Ashulia and Savar: a dense belt of knit, woven and denim factories near the Dhaka Export Processing Zone.
• Chattogram: the main seaport, with woven, outerwear and sweater factories and the Chattogram Export Processing Zone.

What do they make?

Factories specialise. Knit units make t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, fleece and babywear, often with their own knitting and dyeing. Woven units make shirts, trousers and jackets. Denim needs a wash plant, and sweaters need flat-knitting machines. When you look for a manufacturer, ask what makes up most of a factory’s current production, not just what it can make.

Green and safe factories

Bangladesh has the most LEED-certified green garment factories of any country: 284 as of May 2026, 121 of them rated Platinum, according to New Age. Since 2013, export factories have been inspected for structural, fire and electrical safety, now by the RMG Sustainability Council and the government’s National Initiative. You can check an individual factory’s safety inspection status on the International Accord’s public factory list.

Finding the right one

For a shortlist of large groups, see the top clothing manufacturers in Bangladesh. To check a factory’s certificates, use our certifications guide. Or tell us what you want to make and we will match it to a suitable factory.