The ceramics industry is a growing manufacturing sector in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. The industry started during the late 1950s when the first ceramic industrial plants were established. The industry mainly produces tableware, sanitaryware and tiles. As of 2011, there were 21 ceramic industrial units throughout Bangladesh, employing about 500,000 people. In the first nine months of the 2013-14 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported about US$36 million worth of goods after meeting 80% of the domestic demand. The main export destinations are the EU, the US and the Middle-east.

History

The first ceramic plant was established in Bogura in 1958. Owned by Tajma Ceramic Industries, it was a small manufacturing plant for porcelain tableware. Peoples Ceramic Industries, formerly Pakistan Ceramic Industries, started production in 1966. Bengal Fine Ceramics Ltd, the first Bangladeshi stoneware manufacturer, began its operations in 1986. One of the largest ceramic manufacturers in Bangladesh, Monno Ceramics, was established in 1985 to produce porcelain tableware with other ceramic items later. Shinepukur Ceramics was established in 1997 for the production of bone china and porcelain tableware. Shinepukur later captured around 60% of the domestic market. RAK Ceramics was incorporated in Bangladesh on 26 November 1998 and started its commercial production on 12 November 2000.

Sources of raw material

Some white clay deposits have been discovered in

Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north- ...

Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate ...

and

Netrokona Netrokona ( bn, নেত্রকোনা) is a major town and District headquarter in Netrokona District in the division of Mymensingh. It is the largest town and urban centre of Netrokona District Netrokona ( bn, নেত্রকোণ� ...

. The largest deposit of white clay is situated at Bijoypur of Mymensingh which was discovered in 1957. However, ceramic manufacturers import almost all of their raw material.

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...

and Germany are the main sources of the raw materials.

Foreign investment

The ceramics industry sector has attracted foreign investment. The investments have mainly been from China and the Middle East states. Some of the major joint venture partners are RAK Ceramics, Fu Wang and China-Bangla, of which the largest is RAK of the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

, and who have about 80% of the domestic sanitaryware market.

Export destinations and international competitors

Ceramic products have been exported to more than 45 countries. The largest export destinations are the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

, Italy,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, France,

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Neth ...

, Australia and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

are amongst the major competitors in the international market for Bangladeshi ceramic manufacturers. However, the low labour costs of the local manufacturers has put Bangladesh in a strong position.'Pass The Source. Bangladesh Emerges As An OEM Highlight' Asian Ceramics. June 2007.

References

{{reflist Industry in Bangladesh Ceramics manufacturers of Bangladesh