Bangladesh eyes $100 billion exports in global engineering market push
Light engineering sector aims for major leap with policy support, tech upgrades, and upcoming Dhaka expo spotlighting innovation
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh is setting its sights on capturing a larger share of the $7 trillion global engineering and light engineering market, where it currently holds less than a 1% stake.
With the right policy framework, investments, and infrastructure upgrades, industry leaders believe the country could eventually export up to $100 billion in engineering products.
This ambitious vision was outlined by Md. Abdur Razzaque, President of the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners’ Association (BEIOA), at a press conference in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The event also announced the upcoming Bangladesh Light Engineering Expo 2025, scheduled for May 29–30 at the Shahid Abu Sayed International Convention Center in Shahbagh.
Organized by BEIOA in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce’s Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project, the expo will feature 44 stalls representing 27 domestic firms.
Exhibitors will present products including industrial parts, agricultural tools, electric equipment, metal castings, and precision components like dyes and moulds.
Razzaque highlighted the sector’s growing importance in the national economy, employing over 300,000 people and contributing nearly 3% to GDP. Exports currently exceed $795 million annually, with the domestic market valued at around 400 billion Bangladeshi taka ($3.2 billion). Local firms meet half the domestic demand, with the rest filled by imports.
“The expo is more than a showcase—it’s a call for action,” Razzaque said, urging the government to adopt export-friendly policies similar to those in Vietnam, China, and India. BEIOA is calling for the creation of compliance-enabled industrial zones, reduced customs duties on raw materials, priority access to financing, and cash incentives to boost exports.
He also emphasized the need for modernizing production processes through technology transfer, design development, and technical training, especially for youth and women. Razzaque advocated for a simplified patent registration system to protect locally developed components and designs.
Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, Project Director of EC4J, echoed Razzaque’s optimism, calling the light engineering sector one of the four industries poised to rival the dominance of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments. “We are working to address the sector’s needs to help it scale up and reduce import reliance,” he said.
Khan noted that the expo will be a key platform for forging connections between manufacturers, buyers, and investors—critical to accelerating exports and showcasing Bangladesh’s engineering potential on the global stage.
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