The TIE steering board, chaired by Ehsanul Karim Kaiser with ASM Tareq Amin serving as member secretary, convened its inaugural meeting on 22 January 2026 at the Uttara Club, Dhaka.

Industry groups such as BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA have identified challenges facing the sector, including increased compliance costs, energy disruptions, and economic pressures as competition intensifies and traditional cost advantages diminish. These organisations have underscored the need for greater innovation to maintain competitiveness.

TIE aims to promote practical innovation throughout all areas of textile and ready-made garment operations by engaging factories, buyers, brands, trade associations, academics, technology providers, experts, and policymakers.

The initiative has also announced its leadership for operational divisions. Dr Md. Hasib Uddin will serve as the component director and oversee both the Innovation Wing and the Expo Wing. Prof. Dr. Ayub Nabi Khan will lead the Research Wing, while Saiful Islam Khan will be responsible for the Self-Readiness Index and Recognition Wing.

Other members of the steering board are Md. Shamsuzzaman, ATM Mahbubul Alam Milton, A.S.M Hafizur Rahman Nixon, Md. Azhar Ali, and Shafiur Rahman.

The TIE secretariat consists of trade and innovation economist Enamul Hafiz Latifee and Rahbar Hossain.

The Innovation Wing intends to equip 50 factories and 500 mid-to-senior professionals with the skills necessary to develop an innovation-focused culture through targeted training programmes and practical factory initiatives.

The Research Wing will bridge academia and industry to address operational challenges via applied research and data-driven approaches.

Through its Self-Readiness Index & Recognition Wing, TIE will provide tools for factories to assess their readiness in innovation and compliance areas while recognising those that demonstrate successful outcomes.

TIE plans to hold the Textile Innovation Expo (TIEx) in late 2026 to highlight advancements in factory innovation, connect solution providers with manufacturers and buyers, and encourage industry-wide uptake of proven solutions.

Concurrent expos focusing on dyeing and printing innovation, fibre, yarn and fabric innovation, as well as garments innovation, are scheduled for the same period.