What began primarily as an exercise in aesthetics culminated in a commercial niche - this aptly applies to ceramics as we know it today.

The ancient potter used clay as a means of giving shape to his imagination, eventually striking a harmonious chord with the aesthetic user. As days went by, ceramics became more and more popular both for its intrinsic and manifest usefulness as much as for its beauty.

Today ceramics is used in every device from spark plugs for igniting the car engine to undersea fiber cables for ultra high-speed Internet connection; ceramic tiles, tableware and sanitary ware are now a necessity and not a luxury. Indeed of so enormous importance is ceramics that without it modern civilization would no longer remain modern.

In Bangladesh, the ceramic industry began to thrive in the 90s with some companies exporting their products and the country has already made its mark on the international market with its quality products of tableware made of bone china. There are indications that it will not be long before the country captures a major share of the ceramic world market.

With skilled cheap labour and the long tradition of artisanship as its clear advantage Bangladesh is poised for further growth in its ceramic industries. And given the industries' ability to meet high-end demand, the tag 'Made in Bangladesh' will always remain prestigious as far as ceramic products are concerned.

The significance of the sector therefore is the rationale for ceramics being the lead story in the current issue of the Executive Times. We tried to tap every possible source for adequate information on the subject but our effort was handicapped by the scant supply of information and the lack of cooperation from the authorities of some companies - Mir Ceramics, for example.