Staff Reporter :
Accreditation from certification authorities in importing countries is essential to expand the export potential of Bangladesh’s high-value geographical indication (GI) products, Industries Secretary MdObaidur Rahman has said.
“Our products are no less qualified in terms of quality and taste,” Rahman noted at the 10th SME Development Working Committee meeting of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), held at the industries ministry on September 11.
“But they often face hurdles with foreign port authorities due to the absence of proper certification. Without recognition from certification bodies abroad, a GI tag alone will not suffice.”
He emphasized the need to form associations of GI producers to enhance collective bargaining power and market presence, suggesting that BUILD could play a pivotal role.
Rahman also called for systematic visual documentation of GI products to secure intellectual property rights and improve international visibility.
Highlighting the role of private entrepreneurs, he stressed: “The government can provide policy support, but the private sector must take the lead in driving exports.”
Delivering a keynote, Wasel Bin Shadat, research director of BUILD, said Bangladesh has registered 60 GI products since 2016, including Jamdani, Muslin, Hilsa, and Khirsapat mangoes.
However, nearly 90 percent of applications were initiated by the government, limiting producer ownership and reducing commercial impact.
He recommended approving a comprehensive GI framework that includes a national commercialization and marketing strategy, identifying high-potential export products, and strengthening certification and traceability systems to build buyer confidence abroad.
Participants from government agencies, business bodies, and development partners echoed the call for stronger protection and value addition to GI products, stressing that proper accreditation and market-oriented strategies are key to transforming Bangladesh’s rich cultural and agricultural heritage into export-driven growth.
