ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Textile products exports to Bangladesh registered an average growth of 134 per cent in 2003-04.

Official sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the cotton yarn , cotton fabrics (woven) and synthetic fabrics including silk and woollen, used as a raw materials in the garment sector of Bangladesh, constituted 69.4 per cent of total exports to Bangladesh.

The statistics showed that Pakistan exports of cotton yarn to Bangladesh increased by 160.9 per cent to $55.517 million in 2003-04 as against $21.277 million in the previous year; export of cotton fabrics (woven) increased by 114.6 per cent to $68.067 million during the period under review as against $31.716 million in the previous year.

Export of synthetic fabrics including silk and woollen stood at $11.799 million in 2003-04 as against $5.156 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 128.8 per cent, respectively. However, export of raw cotton declined by 25.6 per cent to $15.557 million in 2003-04 as against $20.932 million in the previous year.

Pakistan exported for the first time sugar worth $2.665 million to Bangladesh during the year 2003-04; export of hides, skin, fur skin raw increased by 83 per cent to $3.216 million in 2003-04 as against $1.754 million in the previous year and export of machinery and its parts increased by 51 per cent to $6.082 million in the year under review as against $4.024 million in the previous year.

Bangladesh exported raw cotton worth $29.477 million in the year 2003-04 as against $20.576 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 43 per cent; export of tea and mate stood at $12.598 million during the period under review as against $7.461 million in the previous year, showing an increase of 68.85 per cent.

The statistics showed that Pakistan's total export to Bangladesh registered an increase of 70.5 per cent to $195.011 million in 2003-04 as against $114.356 million in the previous year. Bangladesh exports to Pakistan registered a growth of 40.6 per cent during the year under review to $45.927 million as against $32.665 million in the previous year.