In an interview with Dhaka Tribune’s Johura Akter, the Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA) General Secretary Irfan Uddin has talked about the present situation and prospect of the local ceramic industry as well as challenges facing the sector.

Bangladesh was once totally import-dependent for the high-end ceramic products. Over the years, because of increasing demand in the developing sector, ceramic industry has grown into a booming sector and now about 66 industries are manufacturing ceramic products and almost every ceramic items are being manufactured in our country. After its journey in 1958, this sector has flourished tremendously and in last ten years the total ceramic industry’s production growth rose by almost 200%.

However, ceramic industry is totally dependent on gas and electricity power. To ensure uninterrupted electricity, maximum   industries has their own power plant. But the only and major challenge for this sector is scarcity of gas. Usually the factories are situated in the different parts of Bangladesh. Because of inadequate gas supply, production has been hampered a lot, taking a toll on the quality of products. Because of development projects in Bangladesh, the use of and demand for ceramic products have increased to a great extent. Not only the urban areas but the rural areas have also witnessed increased construction activities. Nowadays we see high-rises outside the cities. The  development process has just started. If the trend continues for next ten years, the future of the ceramic industry will reach a new height. 

As Bangladesh has made tremendous advances in this sector and many foreign companies are investing in local companies, the future of the sector is bright. The government is also backing the sector. Now Bangladesh earns yearly about 46 million US dollar through export of ceramic products. There  are some raw materials which are used in other industries but when ceramic manufacturers import the same materials, they have to pay more custom duty. If the government decreases custom duty on imports of their raw materials through Import Registration Certificate IRC, it will be a great help. The government is imposing supplementary duty on imported products for the sake of local industries. We hope that the government will continue it. 

From DHAKA TRIBUNE