This is the first book that presents a comprehensive analysis of the apparel export industry of Bangladesh. Readymade garment exports from Bangladesh started modestly in the late 1970s primarily as a result of local initiatives. Soon the industry had the benefit of foreign collaboration in marketing, management and production. After two decades of dynamic performance, interrupted by occasional crises, apparel exports from Bangladesh have blossomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry that currently employs over one million women workers, enabling them to improve their living standards and to eventually climb out poverty. The authors focus primarily on the role of the entrepreneurs, the men and women who have led the industry over the years. Based on a sample of forty randomly selected factory owners, a profile of the garment entrepreneur is presented. In addition, the authors use a political economy approach to analyze the forces underlying the local and global clothing markets. A history of the apparel sector, as well as an overview of the industry, both domestic and global, is presented. The book also discusses future challenges for the industry and policy makers as the present structure built under the GATT rules come to an end in the year 2005.