Dhaka, March 16 -- Bangladesh has begun stepping up automation in the garment sector to thwart competition from countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, according to various media reports.

The garment industry contributes about 11 percent to Bangladesh's GDP.

It's the main driver of the country's economy, employing millions of people and generating billions of US dollars in exports.

Textile and garment products constitute over 80 percent of Bangladesh exports.

Smart technology has improved productivity and wages and made Bangladesh's top factories more globally competitive.

Representatives of the South Asian country's garments and textile industries were quoted by Rest of World, a website focusing on how technology impacts emerging ma...