Esquire Knit Composite has grown from a small family company with a three-line factory into one of Bangladesh’s vertically integrated knitwear exporters, employing more than 11,000 people and generating over $100 million in international sales. In this interview, Managing Director Ehsanul Habib explains how the knitwear group is scaling exports, integration and design.

Q: You have been with Esquire Knit Composite since January 1994. How has your vision evolved, and what strategic decisions have defined your tenure? 

Ehsanul Habib, Managing Director: Esquire Knit Composite is a family-owned business founded by my father. It began as a trading company, and he later decided to move into manufacturing because he saw the future there. At the time, I was young and about to finish my studies, and as he began thinking about textiles, I returned to Bangladesh and was given the opportunity to start the business. 

We started humbly with a small factory of three production lines and about 500 people. Over time, I saw a significant opportunity. I attended several trade fairs in Europe, met strong customers, and as orders increased, we recognised clear growth potential. 

Initially, we bought fabric from outside suppliers, which created challenges with quality, delays, and overall performance. To address this, we moved into textile manufacturing, starting with knitting, then dyeing and finishing, and gradually scaled up. Today, we export over $100 million in textile and garment manufacturing and employ more than 11,000 people across the group. 

Q: How do you want your operations to be perceived by international investors, partners and clients, including from the UAE? 

EH: Bangladesh is a strong manufacturing country, and our biggest strength is our young, energetic workforce and their skills. Bangladesh has major potential; although we are targeting $50 billion in exports, I believe that in the next few years we can target $100 billion. To achieve that, we need investment. 

Many countries have capital but do not have manpower, while Bangladesh has that manpower and now has much of the infrastructure nearly ready. We are looking for strong partners to come into Bangladesh and partner with local mills, or to invest independently. The government has also initiated projects called export zones.

We are proud that Esquire Group has entered one of the private economic zones. We have about 10 partners, and it is the largest in the private sector. It is called the Sirajganj Economic Zone. 

Q: What is the primary objective of the Sirajganj Economic Zone in attracting investors and enabling plug-and-play investment? 

EH: We are looking to attract both local and foreign investors by providing infrastructure-ready, plug-and-play facilities so they can come and invest according to their needs. We will act as the facilitator and provide the resources required so investors can operate seamlessly. 

Q: Given your $100 million in exports, how do you assess your market position among Bangladeshi exporters in scale, capabilities and competitiveness for global buyers? 

EH: In terms of capability, we are very versatile. We historically produced knit products, but over the last four or five years we have expanded into intimate garments such as lingerie and activewear. We are growing because customers trust us, and we are reliable, which is why growth with customers has been steady. 

We also aim to diversify markets because global conditions can shift due to political and geopolitical factors. Most of our marketing is in Europe and Scandinavia, but we are now focusing on South America and other Asian markets. We are targeting Korea and, to some extent, China. In the UAE, we have a customer too; we have just started, and I see strong prospects. 

Q: How are you leveraging your strong balance sheet and operational position to sustain future growth and momentum? 

EH: We are targeting more focused marketing because we survive on orders. We are focusing on diverse markets and strengthening our foothold with good customers. At the same time, we are automating key processes, starting with our ERP project, to reduce turnaround time for capital invested in the business and significantly reduce wastage. 

We are adopting newer software, technology and major automation. For example, our cutting room operations are now optimised. We no longer do manual cutting because it is not possible to achieve that precision manually. 

Q: How does your innovation-led model give you a competitive edge in winning high-value clients and diversifying revenue? 

EH: We used to be a tech-pack manufacturer, meaning customers brought their own designs and we cut and sewed according to their requirements. Now we consider ourselves a full-service vendor. 

We study market trends through services such as WGSN and receive input from customers, including mood boards. Based on the customer’s brand DNA, our in-house design and R&D teams develop styles in Bangladesh. Our R&D team then identifies the right fabric, yarn and functional yarns that match the customer’s needs. 

By doing this, we have seen growth. For example, if a customer previously gave us $10 million in business, this approach has helped us increase business by an additional 20% to 30%. Customers are also happy because when they design and send development back to us, it takes significant time; when we develop ourselves, our response to customers is much faster, and they appreciate that.

Q: What is your biggest success story since shifting to a full-service vendor model? 

EH: We work with GUESS Europe and GUESS US, but our biggest success has been with GUESS Kids. For GUESS Kids, about 40% to 50% of the collection we sell comes from our own design development. 

We also work with a US customer, Michael Kors, where our developed fabrics are incorporated into their tech packs and we sell to them. In addition, Celio is selling our own designs, and that is helping significantly. 

Q: What role does the UAE play in your export strategy, and which partnerships are most critical to expanding your presence?  

EH: I am exploring. My marketing team will visit the Gulf region again soon, and there are customers we are targeting to meet. 

By this year and next year, we expect at least $10 million in business from the UAE. Customers generally do not place orders with new factories without evaluating performance, so our strategy is not to rush. We want a strong footing based on performance because each customer has unique tastes and ways of working. We need to learn how the customer expects us to perform. Taking sudden, large orders and then failing to perform would close doors with them.

Q: From your perspective in textiles and exports, why is now the right time for foreign investors to invest in Bangladesh? 

EH: We need investors because local borrowing is very expensive. As investors and as an export-oriented industry, we also need competitive wages, and foreign direct investment can help strengthen our capital base. 

Raw materials, machinery and everything required need funding. In addition, once the election is completed, I believe business will become more stable and uncertainty among investors and the industry will reduce. With infrastructure development, especially with economic zones nearing readiness, with some already in place and others coming soon, I believe this is the right time.  

Q: How have your education, including marketing studies at Notre Dame College, Dhaka, and your professional experiences shaped your leadership style? 

EH: Education gives you confidence, and practical experience teaches you how to work on the ground. I have always tried to be honest with myself, and that has helped me. 

Throughout my career, when I made mistakes, I admitted them openly rather than hiding them, because hiding never helps. When I honestly tell a customer that something went wrong, customers appreciate it more than excuses. This approach helped me build long-term relationships. 

My first customer is still one of my oldest customers and continues with us. The customer is from Denmark, and my relationship with them is now almost 35 years.