Light engineering expo kicks off

A two-day Bangladesh Light Engineering Expo 2025 kicked off in Dhaka on Thursday, aiming to boost the local light engineering sector by connecting domestic producers with international buyers and exploring new growth opportunities.

The Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA) in collaboration with the government's Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) Project is organising the event at Shahid Abu Sayeed International Convention Centre.

The exposition is showcasing the latest machinery, technologies and innovative products of the country's leading light engineering companies.

BEIOA President Abdur Razzaque chaired the event. Mahbubur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, was present as the chief guest, while special guests included Md. Abdur Rahim Khan, additional secretary and project director of EC4J, Ministry of Commerce; Md. Hafizur Rahman, administrator of FBCCI; and Hosna Ferdous Sumi, senior private sector specialist and task team leader, EC4J Project, World Bank.

Speaking at the event, Mahbubur Rahman thanked the participating companies, media personnel, and association leaders. He noted that a significant portion of Vietnam's export income comes from engineering and technology products, whereas Bangladesh's export composition is quite the opposite.

Rahman emphasised that Bangladesh needs to prioritise engineering and technology exports in the coming days, with the local light engineering sector playing a crucial role in this shift. He officially inaugurated the event.

A total of 27 industrial enterprises are participating in the fair. The expo which is open to all from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm is expected to play a meaningful role in promoting local engineering products, services, and technologies.

Also present at the opening ceremony were Abdur Rashid, senior vice-president of BEIOA, Raju Ahmed, vice-president, members of the central executive board, officials of the EC4J project, and representatives of the World Bank.

According to BEIOA, the sector is not only operating as a backward linkage for other large industries, but also contributing to agriculture, power, textiles, construction, and household appliance sectors.

With having more than 50,000 enterprises in country, the sector is directly employing more than 0.3 million people while over 3.0 million others are engaged in the sector indirectly. It contributes nearly 3.0 per cent to the country's GDP.

Currently, the sector exports products worth more than $795 million annually and meets 50 per cent of the domestic demand for machinery parts. On the other hand, Bangladesh imports light engineering products worth Tk 200-250 billion ($1.5-2.0 billion) annually.

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