Government acknowledges beauty sector as industry - Prothom Alo English

Government acknowledges beauty sector as industryProthom AloThe Bangladesh government has declared beauty services as an industrial sector through a circular issued on 8 June. Senior assistant secretary of the industries ministry, Salim Ullah, said a gazette will shortly be published in this regard.

“The government is interested in the development and expansion of this service sector. The beauty sector is flourishing in developed countries because it has the status of a full-fledged industry. We don’t want to be left behind in this regard,” Salim Ullah said, adding that the government wants to bring the informal sector, mostly run by women, into the mainstream and to support it in various ways.

Md Salim Ullah said that status of an industrial sector will play a special role in getting public and private support for the beauty business.

It will be easier to get government stimulus packages during the pandemic.

These beauty salons will not have to pay heaviy bills as they have had to pay earlier, he added.

Kaniz Almas Khan, president, Beauty Service Owners Association of Bangladesh (BSOAB), expressed his gratitude to the prime minister and the ministry of industries for acknowledging the sector.

She said, despite running for six decades, the industry did not have any specific infrastructure for so long and received no recognition.

“This recognition is a matter of pride and honour for all those involved in the beauty sector of Bangladesh. Several other industrial sectors are connected with this service sector,” she added.

Notably the beauty services sector is currently a potential sector for small and medium industries in Bangladesh. There are small and big beauty salons and spas in 64 districts of the country. At present the number of registered salons is over 350,000. In addition, there are about 500,000 men’s salons. At least one million women are involved in the sector. Nearly 18 per cent of the total working women in Bangladesh are now engaged in the beauty services. The annual turnover of this sector is currently five billion taka.

Kaniz Almas Khan further said that this sector is also contributing to the development of the quality of life of the backward minorities of the country by employing Garo women as skilled manpower.

“It is notable that 99 per cent of the management of this sector is run by women” she added.

The first beauty salon began operating in Bangladesh in 1963 and was run by Chinese citizens. It had no name at the time. Two years later it was named May Fair. In the following years two other salons Hong Kong and Lee Beauty Parlours started. At that time, only actresses and women of elite families used to visit the salons. Initially only two or three services like wedding makeup and haircuts were provided. Zarina Asghar was the first Bangladeshi to launch a beauty parlour, Living Doll, after the country's independence.

She provided services as well as training. The first beauty salon outside Dhaka was opened in Chattogram, Lucy Beauty Parlor. In the 90’s, the number of beauty salons gradually increased. Beauty has turned into service, ushering in a new trend of urban culture.