Speakers at IDAB’s founding anniversary: Bangladesh has bright prospects in the trillion-dollar interior design business

Staff Reporter :
The interior designing business is a downstream sector of the housing and construction industry. Interior designing is an important and aesthetic creation world for achieving maximum utility of spatial use in a developing country like Bangladesh. The global market for this sector is more than a trillion dollars. This sector has developed in Bangladesh in the past few decades. If the country’s large young population can be developed, Bangladesh has bright prospects in this sector. Interior designing is important for earning foreign exchange through outsourcing.
To boost quality and make services more affordable, the Interior Designers Association of Bangladesh (IDAB) has called for slashing the 15% VAT on consultancy services and reducing steep import duties on essential materials.
At a press conference held on nSaturday at the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF), IDAB leaders said the sector is facing mounting challenges due to foreign exchange shortages, global instability, and price manipulation by domestic syndicates.
As a result, the prices of key materials such as timber, hardware, and lighting have risen by 30%-40% in recent months, they said.
Despite its growing relevance and potential, the interior design industry in Bangladesh remains constrained by policy gaps, a lack of formal education infrastructure, and persistent economic barriers, IDAB representatives said.
To address these challenges, the association unveiled a strategic roadmap for sectoral development and urged the government to intervene through supportive fiscal and regulatory measures.
“Interior design is no longer a luxury, but an essential part of modern living,” said Saiful Islam Shoron, acting president of IDAB. He called for urgent reductions in VAT and import duties, as well as comprehensive policy support to unlock the industry’s potential.
The event marked the first anniversary of IDAB and was also addressed by Vice President (Architect) Sajib Jahan and Chief Adviser Shafiul Islam.
IDAB leaders highlighted that no public university in Bangladesh currently offers a dedicated academic programme in interior design, hindering the development of a skilled workforce. While a few costly private-sector courses are available, they are insufficient to meet industry demand or build an internationally competitive talent pool.
“Due to the absence of a national policy, interior designers are often excluded from public infrastructure and large-scale development projects,” said Sajib Jahan, vice president of IDAB.