Bangladeshi foods eye bigger EU market
Bangladeshi food products have significant potential to expand their presence in the European market, provided exporters consistently meet international quality standards, cultivate long-term business relationships and strengthen regular market engagement, according to Forqan Haider Chowdhury, Ambassador and Adviser to United Dutch Exporters (Unidex).
Chowdhury, a Belgian businessman of Bangladeshi origin, said the European market for Bangladeshi food products is already worth hundreds of crores of taka annually and demand is expected to continue rising if exporters can maintain quality and reliability.
“Bangladeshi food products have a bright future in Europe. If exporters can ensure international standards and build lasting confidence with buyers, the market will continue to expand,” he said.
From a small start to a European distribution network
Chowdhury said Unidex, a Netherlands-based international food importing and distribution company, was founded in 1989 by Roland Janssen as a small business.
“What began with a fax machine in a bedroom has grown into one of Europe’s largest ethnic food distribution networks,” he said. Janssen came from a family engaged in the spice trade.
His father imported bay leaves, cumin, turmeric, chillies and other spices from India and supplied them to Suriname, Curaçao and other Dutch territories through the Netherlands.
Building on that experience, Unidex gradually developed to serve the growing demand for home-country food products among immigrant communities across Europe.
From its inception, the company has operated in two key segments: the ethnic food market, supplying grocery stores and specialist retailers catering to different communities, and the mainstream retail sector, distributing international food products through major supermarket chains.
Recently, Unidex merged with the Europe-based Asian Food Group, creating a larger business group.
According to Chowdhury, the merger has significantly strengthened the company’s purchasing power, enhanced its supply chain and expanded its ability to serve markets across Europe.
He said the enlarged business has also created fresh opportunities for food producers from Bangladesh and other countries seeking access to European consumers.
