There has been a steady growth year-on-year in handicrafts exports thanks to a low production cost, access to loans with single-digit interest rates, availability of raw materials and untapped new markets, according to industry insiders. According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics, export earnings from handicrafts fetched USD 15.66 million during the July-March period of FY2018–19, registering a 25.68 per cent growth from the USD 12.46 million earned during the same period in FY2017–18.Ashrafur Rahman Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Handicrafts Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association (BHMEA), told The Independent that the investment in this sector was nearly zero because all the products were partially handmade and locally produced. “The handicrafts industry does not need big capital-intensive machines and massive funds,” he said.Skilled human resources and some tools are the key components of this sector, he added.The BHMEA president also said that three things like value-addition to handicraft products, skilled labour force and government support had helped boost the export growth of this sector. Talking about product performance, Faruque said that that two products—shotorongi and terracotta—had recently been added to the export basket, which eventually accelerated the export growth. Terracotta is a soil-based craft, while shotorongi is a handmade carpet manufactured in Rangpur district.Faruque, who also owns Nipun Crafts Ltd, said the SME Foundation, a government-owned organisation, had been offering loans with single-digit interest rates to new entrepreneurs to encourage the export of handicrafts. This is helping emerging entrepreneurs to explore new markets for exporting innovative products, he added.“Our wage rate is comparatively lower than that of other handicraft-producing countries. Moreover, all types of raw materials are available here,” he said.Handloom fabrics, he said, were being exported to Japan, Denmark, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden. Pointing to an opportunity, Faruque said: “Countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand, which are known for producing handicraft products, are shifting to high-tech industries. This gives us an opportunity for to capture the global market, which is a billion-dollar market at present.”When asked about the local market size, the BHMEA president said that Tk. 10,000 to 12,000 crore was the size of the local market and 60–70 lakh people were directly or indirectly employed in this sector. Talking about the strength of Bangladeshi handicraft products, Faruque said Bangladesh exported mostly two types of handicrafts—home furnishings and different types and forms of baskets made of bamboo, yarn, jute, cane and plastic. “All home furnishing items exported from Bangladesh comprise pillow covers, jute bags, executive bags, laptop bags, shaving kit bags and nakshi kantha,” he added.Besides these items, Bangladesh also produces and exports traditional handicraft products like pottery, tant, muslin, jamdani, bamboo craft, shital pati and jute items. “Bangladesh exports handicrafts mostly to different countries of Europe, the Middle East and North America. Cane is the most precious raw material for handicrafts and we need to preserve this,” he said. Explaining the challenges faced by this sector, Faruque said: “There is a scarcity of labs where we can design innovative and unique product. We don’t have any research institution for analysing the local and global markets and their needs and demands.”“Artisans manufacture their handicraft products in different parts of the country and we collect the products from them,” he also said.“We need a central point to assemble all types of handicrafts. After assembling the products, finishing and packaging work has to be undertaken,” he added.
