Published: 10:56 PM, 04 October 2026
Govt eyes 3–4-fold rise in jute value through diversified products
The government is moving to maximise the economic value of Bangladesh’s locally produced jute by promoting value-added products, with the aim of increasing export earnings, generating more foreign exchange, expanding domestic and international markets and strengthening the country’s position in the global jute industry.
Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the government is working with the Jute Diversification Promotion Center (JDPC) and private-sector entrepreneurs to formulate a coordinated strategy for increasing value addition across the jute sector.
He made the remarks on Saturday while inaugurating a six-day ‘Versatile Jute Products Fair’ and a new sales outlet, JDPC Express, at the JDPC premises in Tejgaon, Dhaka.
Muktadir, who also serves as the Commerce and Industry Minister, said Bangladesh should move beyond exporting raw or minimally processed jute and focus on transforming the natural fibre into products with substantially higher market value. “Value addition is essential if Bangladesh is to fully realise the economic potential of its jute,” he said, stressing the need for closer cooperation between government agencies, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
The minister pointed out that raw jute can generate significantly higher returns when processed into products such as sliver, packaging materials and blended fibres.
Giving an example of the potential, he said a tonne of raw jute, which fetched around Tk 150,000, or about US$1,200, at peak market prices last year, could earn around US$2,400–2,500 per tonne if converted into packaging products.
The value could rise further to US$4,000–5,000 per tonne when jute is transformed into higher-value products, including blended fibres made by combining jute with cotton or other fibres, he added.
Such value addition, according to the minister, could help Bangladesh earn substantially more from the same quantity of domestically produced raw material while creating new opportunities for manufacturers, exporters and small entrepreneurs.
Muktadir said the government’s objective is to process the maximum possible share of domestically produced jute into diversified and value-added products. Relevant government agencies and private entrepreneurs are already working together to identify promising product categories and assess the amount of jute that can be incorporated into different goods.
