Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin at a seminar titled 'Bangladesh Furniture Industry: Unveiling Export Potential' at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Jan 20, 2025 (BSS) - Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin today urged the entrepreneurs to invest more for the development of furniture industry.

“It is not possible to earn US$5 billion by 2030 with small number of companies in the furniture industry. However, we have potential in this sector. We need to think about how quickly we can make a place in the furniture world by combining all our resources and utilizing the national opportunities,” he said.

The adviser was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled ‘Bangladesh Furniture Industry: Unlocking Export Potential’ at Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal, said a press release.

The commerce adviser said, “Bangladesh's export trade was India-centric. For this reason, the export market has probably not progressed much. We need to increase furniture production by targeting the global market and ensuring quality.”

Mentioning the corruption that has taken place in economy beyond imagination, he said, "During the previous government's tenure, the potentials of every sector of the country, including banking and garments, have been destroyed in a planned way. Through corruption, the people of this country, including businessmen, have been deceived. The country’s potential has been destroyed, our dignity has been destroyed. We have to bear the burden of their corruption in the banking sector and will have to bear it in the future as well."

Stating that bond facilities are misused in many cases, he said that such practice must be stopped.

Director of Bangladesh Furniture Exporters Association Dewan Atif Rashid presented the keynote at the seminar.

Vice Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Md Anwar Hossain presided over the session.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Moazzem Hossain, former Professor of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka Abu Yusuf and Professor of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at BUET Dr Ahmed Sharif, among others, were present on the occasion.