Three-day Light Engineering Expo begins in Dhaka on Monday

A three-day Bangladesh Light Engineering Expo 2026 is set ot begin today (Monday), with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness and export orientation of the country’s light engineering sector, says a press release.

The expo, organised by the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BEIOA) with support from the Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank–backed Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project, will be held at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Convention Centre from February 2 to 4.

BEIOA president Md Abdur Razzaque announced the programme at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday, saying the event would highlight domestic industrial capacity, help reduce import dependence, and create new opportunities for local manufacturers in international markets.

The exhibition will remain open daily from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and showcase construction, agricultural and packaging machinery, electrical goods, automobile components, textile and jute machinery parts, as well as dies, moulds and other industrial products. More than 50 booths will feature innovations and products from local enterprises.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman is scheduled to inaugurate the expo on February 2 as the chief guest, while senior government officials, representatives of business chambers and associations, and local and foreign buyers are expected to attend.

Highlighting the sector’s significance, Razzaque said around 50,000 small and medium-sized light engineering enterprises currently operate across the country, employing more than 300,000 skilled workers and contributing nearly 3 per cent to the national GDP. He noted that local manufacturers meet almost half of the country’s $8.2 billion domestic demand for engineering products, producing more than 3,800 types of machinery, spare parts and tools.

However, he said Bangladesh’s share in the nearly $7 trillion global engineering market remains below 1 per cent, with exports standing at about $795 million. With appropriate policy support, technology upgrades and increased investment, export earnings from the sector could rise significantly in the coming years.

Two seminars will be held alongside the expo, focusing on strategies to enhance global competitiveness after Bangladesh’s graduation from least developed country status and the importance of research and innovation in the development of the light engineering sector.

Senior Vice-President of BEIOA, Md Abdur Rashid, Vice-President Raju Ahmed, central directors of the association, and representatives of the Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project of the Ministry of Commerce were present at the press conference.