$8m orders at stake for ceramic exporters
He said it is necessary to maintain regular communication with foreign buyers, which they are not able to do because of the ongoing internet blackout.
The ceramics industry is in fear of losing export orders worth around $8 million from the five days of factory shutdowns, Irfan Uddin, secretary of the Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said.
He said it is necessary to maintain regular communication with foreign buyers, which they are not able to do because of the ongoing internet blackout.
He added that they haven't been able to make the scheduled shipments in the past five days and also could not notify the buyers.
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"This is not only damaging our image aboard but also may result in order cancellations," he added.
The industry's overall turnover per month is around Tk1,000 crore. The industry has incurred around Tk150 crore loss in these five days.
Sadhan Dey, chief operating officer at RAK Ceramics, told TBS that it takes three days to start the kiln needed for ceramic production. It also takes three days to turn it off.
Due to the sudden decision, they had to shut the kiln urgently, which may have caused damage to the machine, he added.
