Asian markets have the potential to meet Bangladesh’s demand for market diversification and grab more share in international business, leading domestic experts have said.
Bangladesh’s exporters, especially the readymade garment entrepreneurs, need to explore the Asian markets, apart from Europe and North America, Atiur Rahman, former governor of Bangladesh Bank, said.
India, China and Japan could be among the most potential Asian markets for Bangladesh; and there are chances that Bangladesh can raise exports to India by 300 per cent, Rahman said while presenting a keynote paper ‘Policy Framework for Post LDC Graduation of Bangladesh: Business Perspective’ at Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, on September 17.
The programme was organised by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. Leaders of the FBCCI, different chamber and trade bodies, exporters, manufacturers and researchers attended the programme.
South Asian economies represent a market of 1.7 billion people, but the intra-regional trade currently accounts for only 5 per cent of the total trade within the region, former governor Rahman said. Rahman suggested the businessmen to avail low interest rate from the US $200million green transformation fund created by the central bank for the exporters.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, who spoke at the programme, said Bangladesh’s export will reach US $ 60 billion by 2021; and if the current government comes to the power again the ease of doing business will increase. “Bangladesh will rank below 100, from what is now 177 out of 190 countries, at the ease of doing business index.”
Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, FBCCI president, said Bangladesh is no more a foreign assistance-dependent country. He said, the local garment manufacturers spent billions of Dollars to strengthen the workplace safety, but the international retailers and brands did not increase the prices of the apparel items.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
