BD needs wider global reach to strengthen SME export: Adviser

Staff Reporter:

Bangladesh must diversify export destinations and strengthen its domestic market to expand the footprint of SME products globally, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan said on Sunday.

Speaking as the chief guest at the opening of an eight-day SME fair at the Bangladesh–China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Agargaon, he stressed that the country must identify new markets through regular assessments of global demand trends. “Bangladesh needs to understand which countries have higher demand for certain products and where new opportunities can be created,” the adviser said.

He emphasised that export diversification must go hand in hand with developing a strong domestic market and product development should be aligned with the needs of targeted markets, while broader product diversification is essential for strengthening competitiveness.

Highlighting the global significance of the SME sector, Adilur Rahman Khan said small and medium enterprises are a major driver of industrialisation, job creation, poverty reduction and balanced development.

As Bangladesh moves toward deeper industrial growth, he said, sustainable expansion is needed at both national and local levels to ensure modern facilities gradually extend to rural areas.

He noted that nearly 99 percent of industries in Bangladesh fall into the cottage, micro, small and medium categories. The number of large industries is also increasing, but SMEs remain the most labour-intensive and low-investment segment.

“With relatively small capital, SMEs can generate significant employment,” he said.

The adviser stressed the need for establishing industries in designated zones rather than scattered locations. Planned industrial areas, he said, would benefit entrepreneurs and ensure more efficient industrial development. Environmental responsibility must remain central to this process.

“Water bodies inside industrial zones must be protected and used attractively. Industrial waste must never be released into these water bodies,” he warned, calling for strict compliance from factory owners.

Adilur Rahman highlighted the increasing availability of collateral-free, low-interest loans for SME clusters and sub-sector entrepreneurs. Such financial support, he said, is helping entrepreneurs innovate, compete and expand into new markets.

However, he underscored the need to scale up this assistance so more entrepreneurs can benefit.
Strengthening the SME Foundation is also essential, the adviser added. To make the sector more dynamic, the foundation must be structurally upgraded, with improvements in budget allocation, human resources, research capacity and technology infrastructure.

This year’s SME fair features around 400 enterprises, nearly 60 percent of which are women-led. The ready-made garment sector has the highest representation with 74 enterprises, followed by 54 from handicrafts and cottage industries, 40 from leather and footwear, 35 from jute products and 28 from agriculture and food processing. The fair, which began yesterday, will run until 14 December.