Export earnings rose 2.75 percent year-on-year to $2.62 billion in September on the back of improved performance of non-apparel items.The amount also beat the target for the month by 6.93 percent, according to the Export Promotion Bureau.Garment shipments, which typically account for 80 percent of the export receipts at any given time, saw a decline last month.Bangladesh shipped $1.95 billion of garment items last month, down 2.5 percent year-on-year and 14.5 percent from the previous month.Yet, Siddiqur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, is optimistic.“It’s true that we have been facing some challenges like political turmoil and bad image of the country. Nevertheless, we are doing well. The positive trend will continue in the future.”The recent untoward incidents — the killing of two foreign nationals within a gap of one week — are unlikely to have any negative impact on the country’s garment exports, he said.Among other products, jute and jute goods performed well in the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year.The country exported jute and jute goods worth $206.56 million, registering a 4.63 percent year-on-year growth.Leather and leather goods export fell 11.47 percent to $273.42 million in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
