Blaming the press for distorting his comment Awal in a letter also urged the BKMEA to express regret as a goodwill gesture as two associations had history of mutual co-operation.

BKMEA President Fazlul Haque said Awal also made a phone call to him yesterday morning.

Sources in the BTMA said Awal sent a letter to the BKMEA president in which he said, "I never said anything against the knitwear exporters in the BTMA press conference on July 16, but the way my comment was published in newspapers was unexpected and regrettable."

"I never said in the press conference that stake holders of knitwear industry is selling yarn in the kerb market," Awal said in the letter adding "moreover I said knitwear industry is now on a strong base because of the usage of local yarn, and the spinning mills of the country is now flourished because of the knitwear industry."