'Bangladesh failing to utilise export potential for poor logistics support'

Bangladesh is failing to take full advantage of its export potential because of insufficient logistics infrastructure, said Nihad Kabir, chairperson of the Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD).

For example, the average speed of 90 to 95 per cent of the trucks plying on Bangladesh's roads with export and import laden goods is 19 kilometre per hour, which is much lower than the target of 40 km per hour.

So, Bangladesh needs to put in place international level logistic services if the country wants to remain competitive in the global market, she said.

Nihad was speaking today at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on "Formulating National Logistics Development Policy for Bangladesh: Experience from Global Good Practices".

The industries ministry, BUILD and the World Bank Group organised the workshop at InterContinental Dhaka hotel.