Due to similar indifferent attitude, during the previous decades Bangladesh missed earning huge foreign exchange by exporting only raw leather, without developing the value-added products. Now finished leather goods like shoes, suitcases, and bags are entering the market, but the local manufacturers face many problems connected with financing and backward linkage, which have to be tackled on priority basis by the government. We have huge cattle wealth, but there is no long-term integrated development programme. Only recently we have started thinking about exporting (halal) beefa good market in the Islamic world.

The authorities displayed similar lack of awareness when the RMG sector found it lacked backward linkage industries to boost exports, and we were earning only foreign exchange for the garment stitching charges (tailoring)! The future industrial management problems cannot be anticipated quickly enough by the policy planners at the higher levels, for three main causes: lack of professional analysis at the right level and time; wrong type of bureaucratic practices in the civil service; and, topped by amateurish political leadership, whose attention is always diverted to frivolous and bitter infights.

Similarly, we can export sizeable quantities of vegetables, fish, meat and fruits. The multi-uses of jute can be revived; we need not import sugar, we can reach the top in export of fertilisers, but there is poor coordination at the top; and, the continuity is lost after change of regime. Our political culture is inward-looking and selfish, and insensitive to national goals. We have to get rid of agitative politics and get down to serious, concentrated development work.

There are no scientific and modern inputs in the traditional furniture cottage industry (!), as we are endowed by nature with good quality wood for manufacturing world-class furniture. When I returned from my posting abroad, I bought a whole set of local made to order home furniture for our residential establishment. Now, after a decade, most of these are moth-eaten, and I have to go for refurbishing. Go for wood or synthetic material like particle and synthetic board furniture, as quality wood is too expensive, and cheaper wood cannot be trusted?

Local DIY (self-assembly) furniture kits are not available in the country; these are cheaper to buy as less labour cost is involved, (the sets I brought are still working fine). It is surprising to see the market dominated by huge import of foreign furniture, resulting in huge waste of foreign exchange.

The local industrialists have to mount a huge campaign for buying local products. The government, as facilitator, has to be active to coordinate campaigns, and offer better environment for investment, by improving the quality of local products. We have serious infrastructure problems in the production fields. The consumers have become victims of imitation products. The entrepreneurs do not seem to be interested in tapping this huge billion taka local market. If we can satisfy the 130 million local shoppers, then export earnings would take care of itself. The same approach applies to the tourism industrywe are concentrating prematurely on foreign tourists, with incomplete infrastructure, in a social environment invested with corrupt practices, insecurity due to terrorist activities, toll collectors, and hijackers!

The government should start an awareness campaign to buy local products. When millions of foreigners can wear our world-class readymade garments, why we have to buy other products of foreign origin? It means we have the means to improve the quality of our products.

There is one integrated solution: transparent political culture!