Emphasis on creative economy as Tk 3b to be earmarked

The government has put an emphasis on creative economic activities to keep the country’s youth away from drugs, terrorism, and extremism. As part of this, an allocation of Tk 3 billion will be set aside in the upcoming national budget for the fiscal year 2026–27.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury will also outline the potential and framework of the creative economy in his budget speech.

In general, the creative economy refers to film, dance, music, theatre, publishing, advertising, architecture, fine arts, handicrafts, design, software, video games, and so on.

According to a report titled Creative Economy Outlook 2024 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the creative economy encompasses creating, producing, and distributing goods and services that use creativity and intellectual capital as primary inputs. It includes diverse activities such as advertising, architecture, arts, design, music and movie production, publishing, and video games.

The government is planning various forms of support to advance the creative economy. Officials of the finance ministry and stakeholders concerned said that, along with the development of local culture, the government aims to generate high value through creativity and increase export earnings. Integrating promising sectors of the creative economy into the mainstream economy and branding the country are also among the objectives.

The creative economy is contributing significantly to employment generation and GDP in both developed and developing countries. However, Bangladesh is lagging behind in this regard.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke about the creative economy at a roundtable organised by Prothom Alo on 21 May. He said, “We do not have soft power. Yet the film, music, etc. of neighbouring countries are going to other parts of the world.”

When asked why the creative economy has become a government priority, Zahed Ur Rahman, Adviser on Policy and Strategy to the Prime Minister, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Ministry of Cultural Affairs, told Prothom Alo that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wants the country’s youth to be engaged in various creative activities. There are two aspects to this.

The first is to keep young people away from drugs and militancy alongside their physical and mental development. For this, involving them in literature, culture, sports, and all forms of creative activities is the best way. The second is that creative work can also be chosen as a profession. However, until now there has been no state patronage in this regard.

Zahed Ur Rahman said that the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and others plan to promote the creative economy in the country. Necessary support will be provided for this, and Bangladesh will benefit in multiple ways.

BNP had promised in its election manifesto to implement a work plan on the “creative economy.” It stated that the sector’s contribution to GDP would be at least 1.5 per cent and employment would be created for 500,000 people.

It also included forming a “Bangladesh Creative Development Authority” to provide strategic leadership in the sector, and launching a national brand called “Created in Bangladesh” to showcase creative potential in international festivals and markets.

To fulfil these commitments, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury held two meetings with stakeholders at the Secretariat. The first meeting was held on 11 May, where a concept paper titled “Creative Economy and Bangladesh Context” was presented by Additional Secretary Hasan Khaled Faisal. He said there is no national data on the sector’s contribution to GDP and employment, and coordinated public-private initiatives are needed to mainstream it.

The second meeting was held on 23 May, where responsibilities of different ministries and departments for implementing creative economy development were defined. It was also decided to form a national committee headed by the finance minister to provide policy guidance. A separate committee under the Finance Division will coordinate all related activities.

At the first meeting chaired by the finance minister, Bengal Foundation Chairman Abul Khayer Litu proposed a 100-acre creative entertainment center in Purbachal, Dhaka, along with 550 creative centres at the upazila level featuring cultural stages, bookstores, cineplexes, and small cafeterias.

BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh suggested boosting the film industry, handicrafts, and cultural tourism, along with subsidies and easy loans for the film sector.

Cultural Affairs Secretary Kaniz Mawla called for initiatives to revive fading traditional forms such as jatra and circus. Joya Foundation Managing Director Nahida Manjura Afroze called for easy loans for women entrepreneurs and seasonal fairs.

After two rounds of meetings, the government has taken several decisions, dividing responsibilities among ministries, departments, and the private sector.

One decision is to establish a 100-acre Creative Hub in Purbachal, Dhaka. Bengal Foundation has been assigned to submit a proposal.

Another decision is to establish creative centres at divisional and district-level Shilpakala Academy premises, with a joint plan to be developed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and BRAC.

Innovation centres will also be set up in public universities and government colleges at the undergraduate level, with ICT Division preparing the plan.

The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) will prepare a plan to identify vacant and unused plots and develop them into creative training and activity centres, including handicrafts.

Under the “Ekti Gram, Ekti Ponno (One Village, One Product)” initiative, creative economy-based products such as pottery, weaving, shitalpati, wooden toys, handmade jewellery, terracotta, and so on will be identified. A national pool of local designers will be formed to improve competitiveness in international markets, to be proposed by the Joyeeta Foundation. Creative centres will also be established in multi-storey buildings in Dhaka and in six divisional cities owned by the Joyeeta Foundation.

The government will prepare a tourism master plan covering the overall potential, diversity, and concept of the tourism sector, to be finalided by the Tourism Board. An international-standard specialised training centre will be established in Cox’s Bazar for tourism professionals, to be implemented by the Tourism Corporation.

Efforts will also be made to restore heritage sites to develop cultural tourism, and a “National Festival Calendar” will be prepared by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

The Finance Division has identified several sectors, including folk culture and heritage. Folk culture includes folk songs, folk dances, ballads, and Jari songs. Handicrafts include shitalpati, clay work, bamboo and cane crafts. Traditional festivals include Bengali New Year and rural fairs.

Other sectors include performing arts such as theatre, cultural performances, music, drama, dance, painting, and sculpture. Media and entertainment include film, television and radio broadcasting, content creation, OTT platforms, and so on.

Publishing and literature include books, magazines, journals, online blogs and digital publishing, translation, and literary works. Design and creative services include graphic design and interior design. Information technology and digital creativity include software and app development, web design, and so on.

Tourism and cultural industries include eco-tourism, cultural tourism, heritage-based tourism products and services, festival tourism, archaeological and heritage tourism.

Fashion and lifestyle industries include design and boutiques, jewellery, fashion design, lifestyle brands and handmade products, makeup, etc. Corporate and branding sectors include creative media service providers, software companies, influencing, advertising and branding, digital marketing, etc.

The concept paper prepared by the Finance Division presents the global scenario of the creative economy. Citing UNCTAD reports, it said the sector generates over $2 trillion annually worldwide and employs around 50 million people.

In 2022, $1.4 trillion worth of creative services were exported globally, 27 per cent higher than five years earlier. Software services accounted for 41 per cent of service exports. In the same year, $713 billion worth of creative goods were exported.

According to UNCTAD, Indonesia has the highest contribution of creative economy to GDP at 7.28 per cent. It is 7.3 per cent in the Philippines, 4.2 per cent in the United States, and 2.5 per cent in India. Bangladesh is not listed, but the government aims to raise its contribution to 1.5 per cent of GDP.

The Finance Division said there are practical weaknesses in intellectual property protection in this sector. There is a lack of statistics, policies, and institutional coordination. Funding and investment are limited, and small entrepreneurs struggle to access loans. Venture capital and creative funds are also very limited.

There is also a shortage of skilled human resources, lack of quality studios and labs, weak monetisation structures on digital platforms, and insufficient establishment of Bangladeshi brands. Marketing, copyright trade, and supply chains are also weak.

According to the Finance Division, the World Bank is willing to finance this sector. A special startup fund could be created by the government. Private banks and financial institutions can also play a role in financing. The government should act as a facilitator. A 10-year investment plan, along with a national strategy and policy framework, could be developed.

BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh told Prothom Alo by phone yesterday, “We welcome the government’s positive initiative on the creative economy. There are various social challenges, including extremist tendencies. Government support for creativity is essential to remove their influence.”

He added that the film industry, handicrafts, and cultural tourism should be the three main focus areas for the development of the creative economy.