The Middle East could have been Bangladesh’s second most promising market after Europe and America, but it is now slipping away.
Bangladesh’s exports to Middle Eastern countries are declining due to the lack of precise planning and government policy.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data shows that the country’s export earnings from the region in the 2024–25 fiscal year have decreased compared to previous fiscal years.
According to EPB, during the last fiscal year exports to Middle Eastern countries fell by $108 million, with Bangladesh earning only $824 million from the region. In the 2023–24 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported goods worth $933 million to the Middle East.
Countries where exports are gradually declining include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Syria.
EPB Vice-Chairman Md. Anwar Hossain told Bangladesh Pratidin, “RMG is the main export product of the country, but the apparel used by people in the Middle East is different from what we produce.”
“The export income from that region mainly depends on vegetables and food products, most of which are consumed by Bangladeshi expatriates living in the Middle East. As a result, in reality, we are not exporting much according to the actual needs of the people there, he furthered.
“If we can expand the export of halal products, there is a good opportunity to increase earnings from the Middle East,” he expressed his hope.
Bangladesh stuck at millions in a trillion-dollar market
The demand for halal products is constantly rising worldwide, with the market growing by 10 percent each year.
According to the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), the global ready-made garment market is currently worth $1.8 trillion. However, the halal product market stands at $3.3 trillion, almost double the value of the RMG market. Yet, Bangladesh’s earnings from this trillion-dollar halal market remain at just $843 million per year due to the absence of targeted plans and policies.
BCI President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez said, “Bangladesh exports only $843 million worth of halal products annually, most of which are agricultural items. We have great potential in the halal export sector, and all stakeholders must work together to seize the opportunity. Today, halal products are not limited to food; everyday items like clothes, pens, and glasses can also be halal. The demand for halal products is increasing globally, not just in Muslim-majority countries.”
Industry insiders explain that processed food, cosmetics, and other goods that comply with Islamic Shariah are considered halal products or services. Halal certification is essential for exporting such products to Middle Eastern countries.
Bangladesh has been lagging behind in this sector largely due to the lack of halal certification facilities. Currently, only two organizations in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the Islamic Foundation, issue halal certificates.
The Islamic Foundation set up a halal testing lab in 2017, but it has yet to become operational due to insufficient equipment. Until now, both organizations issued certificates based on testing and reports from external bodies.
However, on July 14, BSTI inaugurated its own halal testing lab, opening new opportunities for Bangladesh to expand halal exports to the Middle East and beyond.
The EPB Vice-Chairman emphasized that along with ensuring certification facilities, policy support must be given to businesses to expand halal exports. Encouraging the private sector to produce halal products alongside ready-made garments could significantly boost Bangladesh’s export earnings in Middle Eastern markets.
Translated by Afsar Munna
