Dhaka, March 14 -- The country's handicraft sector faces multiple challenges like inadequate finance for entrepreneurs and lack of innovation in designs, compounded by skill gaps, resulting in lower-than-expected export earnings.

Besides, unorganised supply chain, limited competitiveness and weak country branding are also contributory factors for this sluggish state of the promising sector, according to industry insiders.

However, they said the sector holds huge potential on the back of buyers' focus shifted from major exporting countries like China and Vietnam due to higher cost to countries like Bangladesh.

Besides, Bangladesh is abundant in natural resources for handcrafted items and affordable labour that indicates prospects of bet...