The country's merchandise export earnings maintained hefty growth this January recording over 41-per cent rise year on year following a strong rebound of apparel shipments from the pandemic-spawned recession.
Bangladesh fetched $4.85 billion during the period in question than last year's $3.43 billion, according to provisional data of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Since last September, the country's single-month export earnings have been surpassing the four-billion mark.
The January 2022 earnings also surpassed the target set for the month by 19.73 per cent, disclosed the data released on Wednesday.
Besides, overall merchandise exports in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY), 2021-22, also grew 30.34 per cent to $29.54 billion.
The July-January earnings in FY 2020-21, which fell into full flash of the pandemic, were $22.67 billion.
The overall export earnings also surpassed the set target by 16.17 per cent, according to the EPB data.
Of the total $29.54-billion export income during the July-January period, RMG sector fetched $23.98 billion, posting 30.3-per cent growth than last fiscal's rate.
A breakdown of the clothing-sector performance shows that knitwear subsector of RMG earned $13.27 billion from exports, registering 32.89-per cent growth.
Earnings from export of woven garments have amounted to $10.71 billion in the past five months, up by 27.23 per cent.
Home-textile exports also recorded 30.1-per cent growth to $831.31 million in the first seven months of this fiscal.
When asked, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Faruque Hassan termed the overall growth positive and attributed it to the robust performance of the RMG sector.
"The country has been witnessing a significant rise in RMG work orders in the last few months. Exports in terms of volume and value are also increasing."
Mr Hassan, however, said the value has increased mainly due to the price spiral of raw materials, freight charges and other logistic costs and price of locally made apparels have not increased in line with a hike in the raw material prices.
The robust turnaround was specially spurred by increased global demands, fuelled by an improving Covid situation in the western countries, while buyers felt confident about Bangladesh, he noted.
Bangladesh has much opportunity to increase its export earnings given the smooth supply of raw materials, especially yarn and fabric, he said.
They mostly source raw materials required for knitwear sector from the local market, the BGMEA chief added.
"But we have to largely depend on import to meet demand for woven segment as they get 35 to 40 per cent of the required raw material from local mills."
Mr Hassan urged the government to allow raw materials import from India through all land ports to keep production uninterrupted.
He also demanded that a partial import of raw materials be allowed through land ports, including Benapole.
Meanwhile, the jute sector, which demonstrated positive growth last fiscal, recorded a 9.13-per cent fall in the July-January period with $695.73-million earnings, down from $765.63 million.
Earnings from agricultural items, including vegetable, fruit and dry food, witnessed 26.23-per cent growth. The sector's earnings stood at $748.99 million during the July-January period.
Earnings from pharmaceutical exports stood at $117.11 million, marking 20.93-per cent growth.
Bangladesh has fetched $682.74 million from leather and leather goods export in the first seven months, registering 29.66-per cent growth.
Export earnings from frozen and live fishes increased 22.6 per cent to $377.94 million during the same period.
According to the EPB, export of plastic products witnessed 38.7-per cent growth to $87.38 million.
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