Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (January 21) asked all concerned to pay the same importance given to readymade garments, to other export items, including jute and leather goods, pharmaceuticals, IT products and handicrafts to increase foreign earnings.

"We have to give attention to produce more new products and explore new markets (for export). We currently depend on a few products for export. It will not be wise to depend on one or two products for export as we have to go ahead confronting many hurdles," she said.

She made the remarks while inaugurating the month-long 28th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2024 at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal New Town, on the outskirts of the capital.

The fair is organised jointly by the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The Prime Minister said her government has been working to increase the export earnings to 150 billion US dollars by 2030 in line with the election manifesto-2024.

"The dateline is short. But it is possible to achieve any target if it is fixed," she said.

Mentioning that Bangladesh's knit and woven garments have been leading across the globe, she said, "Those who are getting advantages (from the government), have become successful. In that case, we have to create more scopes for other products."

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is well ahead in jute, leather, pharmaceuticals, small industries and IT sectors.

Besides, there are many products which are being exported, but in a limited scale.

"We have to find out those products and give more importance to them to expand the export basket... to this end, I think, we have to give the similar importance given to garments, to others," she said.

The Prime Minister asked all concerned to search for new markets as the purchase capacity of consumers of many countries have been reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic and wars, particularly Russia-Ukraine war.

BDST: 1545 HRS, JAN 21, 2024
MN/SMS