The South Asian nation expands its international presence in the Ceramics industry with increased exports and strong domestic output
In October, the maiden meeting of Bangladesh-Russia Intergovernmental Commission was organized. In the event, Bangladesh presented its proposal of increasing exports to the members of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), viz., Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In retrospect, the event could also be considered as Bangladesh first major foray into EAEU’s ceramic industry.
Ceramic demands have seen a constant rise across the globe since the industry’s inception in 1958. According to Bangladesh Ceramics Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA), local industries produce almost 400 million ceramic pieces annually. “Bangladeshis have transformed their lifestyle over the years. For instance, tiles have almost completely replaced mosaic in households. The local demand for ceramics products is extremely high, which is being efficiently met by the country’s ceramics industry. In the near future, we hope to strengthen our stakes in the global export market,” added Md. Shirajul Islam Mollah, President of BCMEA.
The capitalization on available resources and the innate production ability by private players have also resulted in improved productivity and quality. For instance, Shinepukur, the ceramics arm of the Beximco Group already produces quality porcelain and bone china products which are exported to international markets. The reputation and market anchor set by Beximco also placed Bangladesh in a strategic position to expand globally in the ceramics sector. To meet the existing demand of export to countries like USA, European Union, Canada, Australia, India, Nepal, and the Middle East, ceramic giants like Shinepukur Ceramics Ltd., which is a wing of Beximco Group utilized the existing infrastructure to its maximum potential with future expansion plans.
Labor is one of the major reasons behind the 200% growth of Bangladesh ceramics in just five years. Despite being economical than most of the competitive countries, the quality has been equivalent to global leaders of the sector. With almost 80 manufacturers in the country, the sector is responsible for the employment of more than 5, 00,000 people.
Leading educational institutions have introduced glass engineering courses in order to encourage the people of Bangladesh to partake in maintaining the standards of manufacturing and delivery. While their craftsmanship has proved its mettle in multiple countries, visionary leaders like Salman F Rahman have set up factories in order to promote employment and good wages.
Salman F Rahman in particular has been instrumental in securing growth of this sector.
Foreign competitors are trying to work around the setback introduced by the global financial crisis. As the opportunity unravels itself, Bangladesh has the potential to become world leaders of ceramic exports, provided that the government and conglomerates continue their contribution towards the same.
