RSS Feed (xml)
getting a strong foothold in domestic market, as many local
companies have sprung up over the past few years on increased demand
for less expensive but quality items. The items like sanitary ware,
tile, aluminium products including doors and windows, bathroom
fitting and cable now drive out foreign products. Sector people
attribute the present position to the local realtors' quest for low
cost but quality interior materials to make apartments affordable to
customers. In a span of only eight years, local makers of such
materials have been able to grab a major market share, they said.
Rashed Mowdud Khan, president of Bangladesh Ceramic Ware
Manufacturers Association, said, " You can even buy a square foot of
tile for only Tk 30 now, which was Tk 130-140 seven to eight years
back. It has become possible, as local manufacturers in a bigger way
have come into the scenario. Earlier, a major portion of the local
demand for the item was met through imports." Khan also pointed to the
fact that availability of cost-effective tiles has driven out mosaic
largely from the market. "I guess local manufacturers account for
more than 65 per cent market share of domestic tile consumption,"
he said. Around seven companies now exist in the market, of which
where RAK Ceramics ( Bangladesh) Pvt Ltd and Bangladesh Insulator &
Sanitary Ware Factory Ltd are on the front line. RAK Ceramics is a
joint venture with the United Arab Emirates, while the other is a
state-run enterprise. These two companies also manufacture
sophisticated bathroom fittings and other equipment. "We produce
around 2 ,700 pieces of sanitary ware every month," a sales
executive of RAK Ceramics said. The chief of the trade body for
ceramic ware manufacturing sector is also upbeat on the item' s
exports in a very near future. Meanwhile, demand for local doors, made
of wood, plastic and aluminium, is also on the rise. "Even five-six
years ago, most readymade doors in the local market were foreign, but
things have changed with the entry of different local companies who
make quality wood and plastic doors," said M Shamim Ullah, proprietor
of Shamim and Brothers, a door vendor and manufacturer in the
capital. Around 10 companies are producing doors with reputation,
according to an official of a renowned furniture company. "Now most
buyers are enthusiastic about locally made doors because these are
durable," said Ranjit Roy, an assistant manager (Sales and
Marketing) of Akhtar Furniture Ltd. Besides, local companies are
making aluminium- made doors, windows and stairs as an alternative of
wood products. "Now the demand for aluminium-made interior material
in the construction sector is fully met by local makers. But things
were different just eight years back when the sector was import-
dependent for such item, " said M Moniruzzaman of Ornate Thai
Aluminium. The annual turnover of the aluminium industry is around Tk
1 ,000 crore, according to industry insiders. President of the Real
Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) Tanveerul Haq
Probal said realtors prefer to use local products as manufacturers
offer warranty and also provide after-sales-services. "People in the
downtown prefer locally made interior materials as those are
cheaper," he added.
