Designing a new identity

Rayana Hossain 
Founder and Managing Director of ISHO and Director at Dekko ISHO Group, has helped shape Bangladesh's shift from imitation furniture to original, design-driven manufacturing. In this interview with The Daily Star, she discusses industry challenges, changing consumer tastes, and ISHO's role in leading that transformation.

The Daily Star (TDS): How has Bangladesh's furniture sector evolved over the past decade?

Rayana Hossain (RH): Over the past decade, Bangladesh's furniture and interiors industry has evolved from imitation and imports to its own strong design and manufacturing identity, much like the RMG sector. The shift towards modern aesthetics, quality materials, and urban functionality has redefined the market.

TDS: What recent innovations have been game-changers for your brand?

RH: Design, materials, and manufacturing have all evolved for us. We now create designs that reflect real Bangladeshi lifestyles, making them functional and relevant. With FSC certification and advanced machinery at Designscape, we maintain global standards while blending technology with local, sustainable materials like rattan and engineered wood.

TDS: What are the main challenges in this sector?

RH: Quality raw materials remain a big challenge. While we use FSC-certified wood, local options are limited, so we import some components. Testing facilities are also scarce, which slows smaller manufacturers. However, policies like bonded warehouses and growing awareness of certification are improving the landscape and helping brands like ours compete globally while staying sustainable.

TDS: How do consumer tastes and buying behaviour differ across Dhaka, Chattogram and other regional markets?

RH: The current estimates put Bangladesh's domestic furniture market in the Tk 25,000 crore range; exports are low in range but getting there. In terms of regional tastes from our analysis, Dhaka skews design-forward with higher finish expectations and true omnichannel buying; Chattogram shows larger-format preferences and stronger B2B demand with more price sensitivity; regional cities are value-driven and remain predominantly offline.

TDS: How are you using technology and sustainable craftsmanship to strengthen the "Made in Bangladesh" brand—and what's the next big trend?

RH: We've been omnichannel from the start, launching our e-commerce platform before opening any physical store and today most of our products include AR integration for real-time visualisation. This blend of technology with local craftsmanship and eco-materials strengthens the "Made in Bangladesh" identity, and I believe the next big trend will be the country's rise as a regional furniture hub, with sustainable production and circular design becoming the new standard.