Entrepreneurs at a recent meeting have outlined several ongoing crises plaguing the handloom industry and called for friendly government policies and financial support to overcome them.
The first meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Standing Committee on Handicrafts, Handloom, Cottage Industries, Ethnic and Tribal Products was held on Tuesday, where committee members made the call, read a press release.
Through FBCCI, committee members urged the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) to be more active in organising fairs at home and abroad. At the same time, women entrepreneurs want the opportunity to participate in the fair by paying a nominal fee, the release added.
“Fairs should not only be aimed at selling products. You have to bring orders from there. You have to improve product quality,” FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said while addressing the meeting as the chief guest.
“Product diversification should be more emphasised. And Increase competitiveness,” he added.
FBCCI Vice President Amin Helaly urged the entrepreneurs to submit specific proposals in written form about the challenges of handicrafts, handloom and cottage industry.
He said, “Entrepreneurs are best known about challenges. You should take initiative to bring a proposal to us. We (FBCCI) will present it to the policymakers.”
Director-in-Charge of the standing committee Md Ali Hossain Shishir said, “SME entrepreneurs can overcome the current crisis if they get government policy and financial support.”
He urged the women entrepreneurs scattered all over the country to come forward harmoniously for the development of the CSME industry.
Chairman of the committee Rashedul Karim Munna emphasised increasing productivity through skills development of the workers in the handicraft industry. He advised making a strategic plan for the handloom and handicrafts industry.
President of the National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh, Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon, demanded the implementation of the National Handicraft Policy to make the investment safe and sustainable.
Speakers at the meeting called for the introduction of Online Payment Gateways in the country to facilitate the process of getting the price of the products from abroad.
Among others, the Director of FBCCI Hafez Harun, Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, co-chairman of the committee Shaheen Ahmed, Mamunar Rashid, Biplab Saha and other members of the committee were present in the meeting.
