Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has planned to hold a meeting with the major political parties early next month to find alternatives to hartal.

Major buyers will be coming into Bangladesh during September-October for placing orders, which will be delivered in January-March next year.

"In the last six months since March, knitwear exports to the US has plunged by 38 percent and woven garment by 10.59 percent," Annisul Huq, president of the BGMEA, told The Daily Star last night. "This is a worrisome situation. We are going to have a quota-free regime from 2005 and if buyers come and face hartal, they will not hesitate to shift orders."

He said dialogues are on with the major two parties -- the BNP and AL -- to convene the meeting so that an alternative to hartal could be found.

"We have been encouraged by the recent pledge by the leader of the opposition, Sheikh Hasina, not to call any more hartals if the party in power also pledges not to resort to the same means once it is in the opposition," Anis said.

In a quota-free era, buyers will have no obligation to place order in Bangladesh and giant competitors like China and Vietnam will win contracts.