Bangladesh is one of the largest cotton importers in the world. The country produces just one per cent of the total requirement of cotton for making yarns and fabrics for clothes. It is also the second largest readymade garment exporter in the world. Last year, Bangladesh imported 6.1 million bales of cotton, which was double the amount it imported in 2006. India and Uzbekistan are the main sources of those imports.

Bangladesh has a policy of not cultivating cotton on land where some other crop is grown. But now, it’s looking for places where it can promote cotton, like coastal areas, where no other crop can be produced due to saline intrusion. One target is hilly areas as only two percent of that region has been utilized so far. Cotton production will also be promoted in areas where tobacco is being cultivated.

The country has taken up a project for research and expansion of cotton production. Producing cotton can help the country save 10 per cent to 15 per cent on import costs. In fact a world cotton summit is being held in Bangladesh ending today. Global cotton buyers and sellers have convened at the summit in an attempt to understand the market better.