Role of plastic products important in diversifying exportable items: Bashir

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin today said the plastic products can play an important role in tapping the potentials for diversifying further the country's exportable items.

He came up with this remark at the inaugural session of a four-day 17th International Plastic, Packaging and Printing Industrial Fair at the Bashundhara International Convention City (ICCB) as the chief guest in the capital today.

Bashir said, "We need to set our policies in light of reality. In return, we will prevent bad plastic and live with good plastic. We must responsibly  strive to increase the production and use of good plastics." 

He said Bangladesh is going to graduate from the least developed countries  (LDCs) in November 2026. As a result, the preferential access that the  country enjoys in terms of exports would not be there, said a Commerce  Ministry press release. 

The government will also not be able to provide any incentives, the Commerce Adviser said, adding, "In this case, the country needs to increase its competitive edge to overcome the situation." 

"We've to be competitive in productivity and production costs of commodities. If we don't have the capacity, we'll fall into great danger," he said.
 
Deputy Project Director of Export Competitiveness for Jobs Project, Akay Lin of Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Company Limited Sheikh Md. Abdur Rahman and President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Md. Jasim Uddin spoke as special guests at the event with KM Iqbal Hossain, senior vice president of BPGMEA in the chair. 

BPGMEA President Shamim Ahmed delivered the welcome address.

Later, the Commerce Adviser visited various stalls at the fair.
 
The fair is being organised jointly by the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) and Hong Kong-based Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Company Ltd.
 
The International Plastic Fair is featuring more than 800 stalls with more than 390 brands from 18 countries.

Companies from China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, United Kingdom and other countries will showcase their products and technologies at the fair. 

It will remain open to visitors from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm every day.