The value of raw material imports for Bangladesh’s cement industry fell almost 13 per cent YoY to BDT64.81bn (US$764.1m) in the FY19-20, on the back of a stagnation in construction activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses imported 18.6Mt of cement clinker, granulated slag, limestone flux and gypsum in the last fiscal year, down from 20.99Mt a year ago, according to the Chattogram Custom House. Most of the materials came through the Chattogram port from Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Around 2.5m bags of cement were sold every day on average before the arrival of the coronavirus. The sales fell to 1.3m bags in the last several months, said Alamgir Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association.