Furniture export posts 18.5pc growth

The export earnings from the country's furniture industry witnessed an 18.53 per cent growth in the last fiscal year (FY19) totaling $74.89 million, reports BSS.

This figure was also 7.0 per cent higher than the fiscal target of $70 million, according to the latest data of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The country bagged $63.18 million from furniture exports in the FY18.

Industry insiders said the Bangladeshi furniture is gradually becoming popular among the foreign buyers due to its qualitative standard, time befitting design while the furniture industry has moved much ahead over the last one decade due to modern designs and innovations.

The demand of Bangladeshi furniture is high especially in the Middle Eastern countries side by side the export market of furniture is gradually expanding in the USA, the UK, Japan, Australia, Russia, and South East Asian countries.

When contacted, President of Bangladesh Furniture Exporters Association KM Akhtaruzzaman told BSS that the quality of Bangladeshi furniture is very good due to newer design, standard timber and efficiency of the woodworkers.

"As a result, Bangladesh is moving fast in the competitive global furniture market. Bangladesh is now being considered as an alternative to China for furniture exports," he added.

Director General of EPB Abhijeet Chowdhury told BSS that special emphasis has been given in the 7th Five Year Plan to transform the furniture industry as a permanent export item.