Look for new destinations for Bangladesh's products: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the exporters to be more sincere in bringing back the money used for export purposes and maintaining a balance between imports and exports.

“We need to urgently maintain a balance in import and export. I will urge everyone to be more careful about that purpose,” she said.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating the month-long 28th edition of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre (BBCFEC) at Purbachal.

She also emphasized searching for new markets and products for the export basket to reduce dependency on a handful of destinations.

“For that we need to look for new products, new destinations and markets abroad. We should not be dependent on one or two markets worldwide,” she said.

In this connection, she mentioned that Bangladesh has to overcome various types of hurdles and barriers to send its export items worldwide.

Sheikh Hasina, also chief of Awami League, said that in its manifesto for January 7 election the Awami League projected export earnings at USD 150 billion by 2030.

“But for that we have to catch new markets, and our time is short. Above all, if we have fixed a target it will be easy to attain the target. We want to work like this way,” she said.

The prime minister said that jute products and combined jute-and-leather products have a huge market globally.

“We need to focus on this sector,” she said.

She also said that jute should get the opportunities as an agricultural product that are given to the garments sector.

“The opportunities we are giving to garments sector need to be provided in other sectors as well,” she added.

Talking about the handicrafts, which has been declared as product of the year, she said that the government wants that this year handicrafts sector will increase the employment of women of the country.