Australia granted the facility in July 2003 but Bangladesh could not avail the opportunity to boost its exports due to lack of knowledge about Australian market, the Australian envoy in Dhaka added.

Barker was speaking at a seminar on 'Increasing of Bilateral Trade between Australia and Bangladesh' in Dhaka. Australia-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ABCCI) and Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh jointly organised the seminar where Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury, Commerce Ministry Adviser Barkat Ullah Bulu and President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mir Nasir Hossain were also present.

There is a huge demand for Bangladeshi textile and footwear products in the Australian market. But the Bangladeshi businesses did not take the duty free access facility seriously, she felt.

Interestingly, the country's export to Australia dramatically decreased after getting duty free access from the Australian government. According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh exported goods worth $36.711 million in the year 2003-04, but the export figure came down to $30.70 million in 2004-05.

Barker said the local exporters should collect information about Australian market from the ABCCI in Dhaka to increase export volume.

She said with the advent of quota phase out, Bangladeshi exporters focused on increasing export to EU and North American countries bypassing Australian market.

According to Australian Productivity Commission, she said, taking the opportunity of duty free access and less competition, Fiji, an LDC country, raised its textile and footwear export to Australia tremendously during the period. And presently China is also knocking at the Australian textile market, she added.

She urged the Bangladeshi businesses to import Australian processed cotton for producing textile goods in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi textile makers can save 25 percent of their manufacturing cost by using Australian processed cotton in place of cotton imported from some neighboring countries.

Speaking as chief guest Altaf asked the Bangladeshi exporters to introduce potential Bangladeshi export-oriented products including ceramics and pharmaceuticals to the Australian businesspeople.

Mir Shahabuddin Mohammad, vice-chairman of the EPB, urged the Australian government to reduce the existing five percent import levies on Bangladeshi agro products to Australia.

Obidur Rahman, acting president of the ABCCI, told the seminar that Australia in joint collaboration with the EPB is going to organise a catalogue show in Bangladesh soon for the Australian companies in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna.

Prof AKM Atikur Rahman of Department of Economics, North South University presented a keynote paper in the seminar.

Rahman said there is a good market for Bangladeshi leather, leather goods, frozen foods, handicrafts, ceramics products, fertilizer and artificial flowers in Australia.

"But the recent appreciation of Australian dollar and depreciation of taka against US dollar have made our export more competitive," he added.