Dhaka, July 2 -- Astha is a department store near the Chapainawabganj New Market, but it offers no value-added mango products made by local entrepreneurs. Neither does T Mart, another such store at the Belepukur intersection.

Even in food shops at the New Market, no such products are available, except for simple mango bars and drinks manufactured by two Dhaka-based conglomerates.

This not only reflects the unavailability of value-added products in the "mango capital" of Bangladesh, but also the country's failure to tap into the full economic potential of the delectable summer fruit.

Blessed with fertile soil and tropical climate, Bangladesh is among the world's top 10 mango-producing nations, with the 2024-25 yield target set at around...