Bangladesh can earn $500 million a year by exporting flowers thanks to its increasing demand both at home and abroad, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said.

"Around $36 billion worth of flowers are sold worldwide every year and Bangladesh has the potential to capture $500 million sales of the global flower market."

The minister made the comments while inaugurating a wholesale flower market and processing centre in Gabtoli of Dhaka built by the Department of Agricultural Marketing yesterday.

Flowers can play a big role in further growth of Bangladesh economy, the minister said.

Bangladesh should now go for developing improved varieties of flowers with the use of advanced technologies, he said.

"Strict care should be taken to ensure that there is no mismanagement of any kind."

Tk 1,500 crore worth of flowers are sold every year in the country and 15 lakh people are employed in the domestic flower sector, traders said.

The traders will be able to process and export flowers from the wholesale market built by the Department of Agricultural Marketing, officials said.