The global handicrafts market is worth billions of dollars, but Bangladesh cannot realise its full export potential without targeted policies, improved financing, and stronger government–private sector coordination, experts said at a workshop in Dhaka on Monday.
The event, titled “Strategies for the Development of Bangladesh’s Handicrafts”, was organised by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF).
Speakers highlighted persistent constraints holding back the sector, including limited access to credit, shortages of skilled artisans, rising raw-material costs, insufficient research and design support, and weak international branding.
Although Bangladesh has a domestic market worth hundreds of crores of taka and access to a fast-growing global market, participants said the sector remains largely underdeveloped.
They recommended easier financing, market diversification, digital sales platforms, design-development centres, expanded training programmes, and stronger export-promotion initiatives.
PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader chaired the workshop, while Deputy Managing Director Dr Akond Md Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome remarks.
PKSF Deputy General Manager Md Habibur Rahman presented an overview of the sector, noting that handicrafts are one of Bangladesh’s oldest yet fastest-growing cottage industries.
According to the presentation, around 148,000 artisans are currently engaged in handicrafts production—56% of them women—with 95.8% of activities taking place in home-based settings and contributing significantly to rural incomes. Key export items include Nakshi Kantha, clay products, bamboo and cane crafts, Jamdani, jute goods, and terracotta, with the United States, Europe and the Middle East serving as major markets.
Fazlul Kader said the sector could generate higher export earnings, expand women’s economic participation and create new jobs with easier financing, improved technical training and simplified export procedures.
He called for stronger collaboration between the government and private sector to turn the handicrafts industry into a more organised, sustainable and globally competitive sector.
Speakers also urged strategic interventions such as strengthening supply chains, developing artisan villages, expanding financing windows, enhancing international standards and certification, establishing design centres, scaling up training and boosting digital marketplaces.
They stressed that coordinated policy support and active private-sector partnerships are essential to secure a stronger foothold in the billion-dollar global market.