The industries ministry yesterday honoured 17 firms for enhancing productivity and improving product quality in their factories.

This was the second time the ministry recognised firms with the National Productivity and Quality Excellence Award in six categories. Amir Hossain Amu, industries minister, handed over the awards to the winners for the year 2013, the ministry said in a statement.

It is essential to increase productivity in the factory units to improve the lives of people through sustainable industrialisation, said Amu at the ceremony at Hotel Purbani in Dhaka. The industrial sector has had a great role to play in the country's economic progress.

The pace of industrialisation has increased after the government formulated the Industrial Policy, he claimed.

The industries ministry launched the award in 2012 to encourage firms to attain higher levels of efficiency in production.

The award has been introduced in line with many countries, including Japan, which recognises firms that increase productivity, said Md Nazrul Islam, director of the National Productivity Organisation or NPO, an entity under the industries ministry.

Higher productivity in firms will facilitate faster economic development, according to Islam.

For several years now, the manufacturing sector is growing faster than the agriculture and service sectors.

The manufacturing sector registered 10.32 percent growth in fiscal 2014-15 from 8.77 percent growth a year earlier, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Overtime, the industrial sector's share of annual GDP increased, while that of the agriculture sector fell. Manufacturing now accounts for a fifth of Bangladesh's more than $200 billion economy that is growing by 6 percent a year.

The manufacturing sector accounted for 16.13 percent of the economy a decade ago, according to BBS.

Handing over trophies and certificates to the firms for 2013, the NPO also invited applications for the award for 2015. Firms will have until September 15 to submit applications, according to a notice by NPO.

Some 18 awards will be given in six categories -- large, medium, small, micro, cottage and nationalised, Islam said.

However, tax or loan defaulting organisations, as well as those convicted by court or are in conflict with foreign buyers will be ineligible to apply, according to the notice.

Islam said the NPO received about 150 applications for the 2013 award; the authority selected 17 firms as the rest failed to get atleast 50 percent marks.

The government also declared October 2 as National Productivity Day to spread awareness, he added.

The industries ministry also recognises businesspersons as commercially important persons. The ministry, for the first time, is going to recognise 12 firms by giving President's Industrial Development Award.