Asif Showkat Kallol: The government is eyeing West Asian countries to boost halal exports to tap the 16 billion apparel and food markets in the region.
Dhaka is also maneuvering to find alternative manpower markets as the traditional ones turned bleak amid Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.
Moist of the Bangladesh’s 1.22 crore labour force work in the Middle Eastern countries.
As part of the initiative, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam is sponsoring a meeting with officials of foreign ministry sub division on West Asian countries in Jordon today (Saturday).
The commercial councilors stationed in a number of countries will also join the meeting. The countries include, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Jordon, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon, respectively.
An official of the cabinet division said cabinet secretary will offer the Bangladesh’s officials some strategical aim to increase Dhaka’s manpower and merchandise exports to those countries.
“We will export more Halal commodities within a short time to those Middle Eastern countries,” an official of the commerce ministry said.
He said some of Bangladesh’s Halal products are popular in the Middle Eastern markets.
“Now we are only shipping products less than a billion dollar. And, we are expecting it to take to $6 billion by expanding our Halal food products in the West Asian countries,” he also said.
He said a strong diplomatic effort will be required by the respective Bangladeshi embassies to popularise Bangladeshi products.
Bangladesh now exports only $367.49 million worth of goods to this region, as per Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.
But, the Bangladesh is able to supply about 5% of the annual demand for Halal products in the UAE, around 4% in Saudi Arabia and less than 1% in the rest of the targeted host countries, respectively.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association or BKMEA executive president Mohammad Hatem told Business Insider Bangladesh mere diplomacy cannot explore untapped markets of the Middle East.
“We need to relax different customs policy and introduce some new incentives to explore those markets,” Hatem said.
He further said: “We are focusing on traditional markets as it is very easy to get orders from there. But new markets require some workouts to explore.”
Earlier Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said the job market in different countries, especially in the oil-dependent Middle Eastern states, may not remain the same as before due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
The government is not only working to explore alternative labour markets and send workers there but also economic diplomacy will be applied to increase remittances, he observed.
Senior Secretary to the Commerce Ministry Tapan Kanti Ghosh told Business Insider Bangladesh, “We need to sign FTAs or PTAs with all the countries to boost our trade.”
Halal products are one of the popular initiatives for the West Asian countries, he added.
Halal export products initiative
Bangladeshi Halal export items can be popularise in the Middle Eastern countries.
Bangladesh will sign an agreement with Turkey to increase the capacity of Bangladesh’s BSTI for certifying the country’s export merchandise as ‘Halal’ products, according to the commerce ministry official.
Turkey has increased their export volume many folds by focusing shipment on Halal commodities. Halal commodities includes fishery, fruits, meat, leather and leather shoes, apparel and fibres.
Some colours and chemicals used in fabrics are not allowed for importation by Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries.