The three-day Bangladesh Light Engineering Expo 2026 began on Monday, February 2, at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Convention Center in Dhaka’s Minto Road. The event was inaugurated by Md. Abdur Rahim Khan, Project Director of the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project. The expo, running until February 4, showcases the latest technologies, machinery, and innovative products from the country’s light engineering sector.

Speakers emphasized coordinated efforts to make the sector export-oriented and competitive as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from LDC status in November. They highlighted the need for capacity building, technology advancement, and policy support to offset the loss of duty-free trade benefits. The World Bank’s Hosna Ferdous Sumi noted that both export and domestic markets, worth around USD 8 billion, offer major opportunities but stressed quality compliance and production efficiency as key challenges.

BSCIC President Abdur Razzak said the sector contributes about 3% to GDP, employs 300,000 skilled workers, and meets half of the USD 8.2 billion domestic demand. With proper policy and investment, exports could reach USD 12.56 billion by 2030, he added.