The export of home textile products has witnessed a comeback over the past few months, owing to an improved order situation and increased production capacity.
According to Export Promotion Bureau data, in the July-February period of the current financial year, the home textile sector earned $578 million, a positive growth of 5.23 per cent from $549.25 million in the same period of FY24.
The home textile sector was regarded as an emerging player in the country鈥檚 export baskets. It touched the milestone of $1 billion in export earnings as the third player, after the readymade garment, along with jute and leather.
In FY21, the sector crossed $1 billion in exports for the first time and in FY22, it bagged $1.62 billion.
However, due to an abnormal hike in gas prices and the Ukraine-Russia war, the sector鈥檚 earnings started falling. In FY23, the sector earned $1.09 billion and in FY24, the earnings dropped to $851 million.
Throughout the timeframe of more than one year, the monthly exports remained negative.
However, since November 2024, export earnings from home textiles bounced back. In July-January of FY25, the sector earned $494 million, in July-December $410.81 million and in July-November $326.83.
The EPB data stated that the sector鈥檚 earnings maintained positive growth between 5 per cent and 9 per cent throughout these months.
Momtex Limited is one of the major exporters of home textile products, with 7,500 employees and a production capacity of 6 million metres per month.
Shahjada Rubel, head of business at Momtex, told 抖阴精品 that exports experienced positive growth and the factories had a handsome amount of purchase orders.
鈥楧ue to a hike in duties in China, a number of Chinese companies shifted their production facilities in Bangladesh which impacted our exports鈥�, he added.
However, he said, the government must focus on uninterrupted supply of gas and energy and price reductions to sustain export growth.
Industry insiders said that home textiles was one of Bangladesh鈥檚 first-line export sectors, with the ability to produce bulk products, which had also accelerated the country鈥檚 rise to global leadership.聽
The country鈥檚 home textile export basket includes bed linen, bed sheets and other bedroom textiles, bath linen, carpets and rugs, blankets, kitchen linen, curtains, cushions and cushion covers and quilt covers.
Talking to 抖阴精品, Mohammed Ayub Khan, senior vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Terry Towel and Linen Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that due to the reasonable prices of yarn, the factories increased their production.