Bangladesh’s export earnings have increased by 2.56 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, beginning on July 1, over the same period in the previous FY.
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) indicates the country earned $20.31 billion from exports during the July-February period of the 2014-15 FY against $19.83 billion in the corresponding period of the previous FY.
Export earnings maintained the growth despite the last two month’s political unrest.
EPB Vice-Chairman Subhasis Basu said the country recorded around 5 percent and 5.15 percent growth in export earnings in January and February respectively despite a non-stop countrywide transport blockade and several rounds of shutdowns.
Businessmen and economists say exports might have grown at a higher rate had in the event of normalcy.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association President AKM Selim Osman, however, feared the unrest would impact future exports.
The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Research Director Zaid Bakht echoed Osman’s fears.
He said: “Our export sector will get into a big crisis unless this (political crisis) is resolved promptly.”
Source: Bd news24
