Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have been exploring new export markets and they have exported $6.2 million worth goods in 21 new countries in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

According to Export Promotion Bureau, exports in these 21 countries were 'zero' in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.

Of these countries, 13 are African, four former Russian Federation, two Asians, one European and one South American, EPB's latest country-wise statistics revealed.

Goods, which were exported, are frozen food, woven, knitwear, leather, raw jute, jute goods and chemical products were exported in these countries during July-September of fiscal 2007-08.

The countries are: Angola, Belize, Benin, Cambodia, Cote D Ivory, Gambia, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lithonia, Macao, Namibia, Niger, Reunion, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau Islands, Tunisia and Uzbekistan.

A leading woven exporter identified two major reasons entrepreneurs' efforts to look for new destinations and location of stores of big chain shops in different countries for the diversified markets.

“We're looking for new export markets and everyday we're getting responses from different countries around the world,” Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association told The Daily Star yesterday.

Chowdhury said: “We're getting more and more orders from African and former Soviet Union countries”.

Government data shows Bangladesh's total exports were $12.1 billion in the last fiscal year ended on June 30 2007. Of which, about 76 percent was earned by apparel items.

Of these exports, majority goes to some specific countries that include the US and the European countries.

Analysts often said Bangladesh is in a vulnerable position as its export markets are very limited, but entrepreneurs have proved their potentials that they were able to tap new export markets.

“Bangladesh's export to other countries will increase day by day as the sourcing countries for RMG are getting shrunk,” the BGMEA president said.

He said the sourcing countries for apparel products have already come down to 36 countries from 56 five years ago.

“It is a good sign that Bangladesh's export markets and products are being diversified,” Prof Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, told The Daily Star.

Rahman said some big local exporters have been exploring new export destinations after withdrawal of the quota system.

“Still many markets, including South American countries, are unexplored,” he said, “An improved design and fashion can help Bangladeshi exporters to penetrate into the $12 billion worth market in Japan”.