09/06/2026
What does it take for Bangladesh to turn its trade and investment potential into durable, inclusive growth?
That question brought together officials from more than 20 government agencies, this weekend for a two-day residential workshop in Gazipur on aligning trade, investment, and decent work for resilient supply chains.
The honest conversations were the most valuable ones. On leather - stagnant at $1 billion in annual exports for a decade while Vietnam built a $27 billion sector. On aquaculture - where Bangladesh holds a world-class GI species but captures less than 1% of global shrimp trade by value. On circular plastics and textiles - where Bangladesh's existing manufacturing expertise positions it to lead, if industrial policy, environmental standards, and decent work preconditions move together.
The shared conclusion was that Bangladesh's diversification agenda is an opportunity this country has earned the right to seize, but only if it delivers decent work for all women and men. That means dedicated effort on ease of doing business, formalization and traceability so that enterprises at every tier can participate, stronger Occupational Safety and Health so that workers are not left behind, and genuine respect for fundamental principles and rights at work as the foundation on which durable growth is built.
Next step is a structured debriefing on 17 June with MoC, BIDA, UNRCO, leading economists and development partners to discuss turning opportunities into action.
