Economy of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a developing mixed economy. It is the second-largest economy in South Asia and the 34th largest in the world when looking at money value alone. By considering what people can buy with their money, it is the 25th largest.

After the partition of India, Bangladesh began building its industries. In the late 1970s, the country started changing its economy to allow more free markets and investment from other countries. By the 1990s, Bangladesh had a very successful ready-made garments industry. As of March 2024, it has the most green garment factories in the world. The country also has a growing pharmaceutical industry, making almost all the medicines people need.

People from Bangladesh living in other countries send money home, which helps the country have enough money to buy things from overseas. The government helps farmers, so Bangladesh grows enough food for everyone. In 2024–2025, Bangladesh's economy grew by 3.49%, which is slower than before. Bangladesh will become a developing country in November 2026.

Economic history

Precolonial period

Punch-marked coins are the earliest form of currency found in Bangladesh, dating back to the Iron Age and the first millennium BCE. 1st century Roman coins with images of Hercules have been excavated in Bangladesh and point to trade links with the Roman world. The Wari-Bateshwar ruins are believed to be the emporium of Sounagoura mentioned by Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemy. The eastern segment of Bengal was a historically prosperous region. The Ganges Delta provided advantages of a mild, almost tropical climate, fertile soil, ample water, and an abundance of fish, wildlife, and fruit. Living standards for the elite were comparatively better than other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Trade routes like the Grand Trunk Road, Tea Horse Road and Silk Road connected the region to the wider neighborhood. Between 400 and 1200, the region had a well-developed economy in terms of land ownership, agriculture, livestock, shipping, trade, commerce, taxation, and banking. Muslim trade with Bengal increased after the fall of the Sasanian Empire and the Arab takeover of Persian trade routes. Much of this trade occurred east of the Meghna River in southeastern Bengal. After 1204, Muslim conquerors inherited the gold and silver reserves of pre-Islamic kingdoms.

The Bengal Sultanate presided over a mercantile empire of its own. Bengali ships were the largest ships in the Bay of Bengal and other parts of the Indian Ocean trade network. Ship-owning merchants often acted as royal envoys of the Sultan. A large number of wealthy Bengali merchants and shipowners lived in Malacca. A vessel from Bengal transported embassies from Brunei and Sumatra to China. Bengal and the Maldives operated the largest shell currency network in history. A Masai giraffe from Malindi in Africa was shipped to Bengal and later gifted to the Emperor of China as a gift from the Sultan of Bengal. The rulers of Arakan looked to Bengal for economic, political and cultural capital. The Sultan of Bengal financed projects in the Hejaz region of Arabia.

Under Mughal rule, Bengal operated as a centre of the worldwide muslin, silk and pearl trades. Domestically, much of India depended on Bengali products such as rice, silks and cotton textiles. Overseas, Europeans depended on Bengali products such as cotton textiles, silks and opium; Bengal accounted for 40% of Dutch imports from Asia, for example. Bengal shipped saltpeter to Europe, sold opium in Indonesia, exported raw silk to Japan and the Netherlands, and produced cotton and silk textiles for export to Europe, Indonesia and Japan. Real wages and living standards in 18th-century Bengal were comparable to Britain, which in turn had the highest living standards in Europe.

During the Mughal era, the most important centre of cotton production was Bengal, particularly around its capital city of Dhaka, leading to muslin being called "daka" in distant markets such as Central Asia. Bengali agriculturalists rapidly learned techniques of mulberry cultivation and sericulture, establishing Bengal as a major silk-producing region of the world. Bengal accounted for more than 50% of textiles and around 80% of silks imported by the Dutch from Asia, for example.

Bengal also had a large shipbuilding industry. The shipbuilding output of Bengal during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was 223,250 tons annually, compared with 23,061 tons produced in nineteen colonies in North America from 1769 to 1771. The region was also a center of ship-repairing. Bengali shipbuilding was advanced compared to European shipbuilding at the time. An important innovation in shipbuilding was the introduction of a flushed deck design in Bengal rice ships, resulting in hulls that were stronger and less prone to leak than the structurally weak hulls of traditional European ships built with a stepped deck design. The English East India Company later duplicated the flushed-deck and hull designs of Bengal rice ships in the 1760s, leading to significant improvements in seaworthiness and navigation for European ships during the Industrial Revolution. Among the oldest businesses from the pre-colonial and Mughal periods, the biryani restaurant Fakhruddin's traces its history to the era of the Nawabs of Bengal.

Colonial period

The British East India Company, that took complete control of Bengal in 1793 by abolishing Nizamat (local rule), chose to develop Calcutta, now the capital city of West Bengal, as their commercial and administrative center for the Company-held territories in South Asia. The development of East Bengal was thereafter limited to agriculture. The administrative infrastructure of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries focused on East Bengal's function as a primarily agricultural producer—chiefly of rice, tea, teak, cotton, sugar cane and jute — for processors and traders in the British Empire. British rule saw the introduction of railways. The Hardinge Bridge was built to carry trains across the Padma River. In the early 20th century, Eastern Bengal and Assam was established in the British Raj to promote jobs, education and investment in East Bengal. In 1928, the Port of Chittagong was declared to be a "Major Port" of British India. East Bengal extended its rice economy into Arakan Division in British Burma. The river and sea ports of East Bengal, including Goalundo Ghat, the Port of Dhaka, the Port of Narayanganj, and the Port of Chittagong became entrepots for trade between Bengal, Assam and Burma. Some of Bangladesh's venerable and oldest companies were born in British Bengal, including A K Khan & Company, M. M. Ispahani Limited, James Finlay Bangladesh, and Anwar Group of Industries.

Pakistan period

The partition of India changed the economic geography of the region. The Pakistani government in East Bengal prioritized industries based on local raw materials like jute, cotton, and leather. The Korean War drove up demand for jute products. Adamjee Jute Mills, the world's largest jute processing plant, was built in the Port of Narayanganj. The plant was a symbol of East Pakistan's industrialization. Living standards began to gradually improve. Labor reforms in 1958 eventually benefitted a future independent Bangladesh to develop industry. Free market principles were generally accepted. The government promoted an industrial policy which aimed to produce consumer goods as quickly as possible in order to avoid dependence on imports. Certain sectors, like public utilities, fell under state ownership. Natural gas in Sylhet was discovered by the Burmah Oil Company in 1955. By the late 1960s, East Pakistan's share of Pakistan's exports went down from 70% to 50%.

Pakistan's rulers launched a so-called "Decade of Development" that "resulted in numerous economic and social contradictions, which played themselves out, not just in the 1960s, but beyond, where Ayub Khan's rule created the social and economic conditions leading to the separation of East Pakistan". According to the World Bank, economic discrimination against East Pakistan included diverting foreign aid and other funds to West Pakistan, the use of East Pakistan's foreign-exchange surpluses to finance West Pakistani imports, and refusal by the central government to release funds allocated to East Pakistan. Rehman Sobhan paraphrased the Two-Nation Theory into the Two Economies Theory by arguing that East and West Pakistan diverged and became two different economies within one country.

Post-independence period

Since independence, the Bangladesh economy has improved. Average incomes in Bangladesh reached the same level as Pakistan around 2016 before exceeded Pakistan's levels substantially.

Socialist era (1972–1975)

After its independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh initially followed a socialist economy for five years, which proved to be a blunder by the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led Awami League government. During Mujib era, the state development strategy envolved every possible way to the extension of protectionism. Private companies had to operate under heavy regulation and restrictions. For example, profit limits were imposed on companies. Any company with revenues or profits above the limit were susceptible to nationalization. The state nationalized all banks, insurance companies, and 580 industrial plants. Many of the nationalized industries were abandoned by West Pakistanis during the war; while many pro-Awami League and other Bengali businesses also suffered nationalization of properties and industries. The Awami League initiated work for the Ghorashal Fertilizer Factory and the Ashuganj Power Station. In spite of restrictions, several of Bangladesh's leading companies in the future were founded during this period, including BEXIMCO and Advanced Chemical Industries. Land ownership was restricted to less than 25 bighas. Land owners with more than 25 bighas were subjected to taxes. Farmers had to sell their products at prices set by the government instead of the market.

Since Bangladesh followed a socialist economy, it underwent a slow growth of producing experienced entrepreneurs, managers, administrators, engineers, and technicians. There was hardly any foreign investment. There were critical shortages of essential food grains and other staples because of wartime disruptions. External markets for jute had been lost because of the instability of supply and the increasing popularity of synthetic substitutes. Foreign exchange resources were minuscule, and the banking and monetary systems were unreliable. Although Bangladesh had a large work force, the vast reserves of under trained and underpaid workers were largely illiterate, unskilled, and underemployed. Commercially exploitable industrial resources, except for natural gas, were lacking. Inflation, especially for essential consumer goods, ran between 300 and 400 percent.

The war of independence had crippled the transportation system. Hundreds of road and railroad bridges had been destroyed or damaged, and rolling stock was inadequate and in poor repair. The new country was still recovering from a severe cyclone that hit the area in 1970 and caused 250,000 deaths. India came forward immediately with critically measured economic assistance in the first months after Bangladesh achieved independence from Pakistan. Between December 1971 and January 1972, India committed US$232 million in aid to Bangladesh from the politico-economic aid India received from the US and USSR.

Military rule and economic reforms (1975–1990)

After 1975 coups, new Bangladeshi military leaders began to promote private industry and turned their attention to developing new industrial capacity and rehabilitating the economy. The socialist economic model adopted by early leaders had resulted in inefficiency and economic stagnation. Beginning in late 1975, the government gradually gave greater scope to private sector participation in the economy, a pattern that has continued since then.

After Lt. Gen. Ziaur Rahman's ascension to the power in 1975, new strategy was taken to encourage private enterprise with a primary goal of maximization of GNP growth rate. Zia's government revised the First Five-Year Plan (1973–1978) taken by the Mujib government and formulated a "Three year hard core plan" for remaining three years. This was followed by the Two-Year Plan (1978–80) and the Second Five Year Plan (1980–85). The government also established special economic zones called Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to attract investors and promote export industries. These zones have played a key role in Bangladesh's export economy. The government also de-nationalized and privatized state-owned industries by either returning them to their original owners or selling them to private buyers. Meanwhile, inefficiency in the public sector gradually increased; and left-wing opposition grew against the export of natural gas.

The 1980s saw the emergence of dynamic local brands like PRAN. Muhammad Yunus began experimenting with microcredit in the late 1970s. In 1983, the Grameen Bank was established. Bangladesh became the pioneer of the modern microcredit industry, with leading players like Grameen Bank, BRAC and Proshika. In the industrial sector, two policy innovations in the mid-1980s helped exporters. The reforms introduced the back-to-back letter of credit and duty-drawback facilities through bonded warehouses. These reforms removed major constraints for the country's fledgling garment industry. The reforms allowed a garment manufacturer to obtain letters of credit from domestic banks to finance its import of inputs, by showing letters of credit from foreign buyers of garments. The reforms also reimbursed manufacturers the duty paid on imported inputs on proof that the inputs, stored in bonded warehouses, had been used to manufacture the exports. These reforms spurred the growth of industry into the world's second largest textile exporting sector.

In the mid-1980s, there were encouraging signs of progress. Economic policies aimed at encouraging private enterprise and investment, privatising public industries, reinstating budgetary discipline, and liberalising the import regime were accelerated. The International Finance Investment and Commerce Bank was set up as a multinational bank for Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives.

Economic growth (1991–2022)

From 1991 to 1993, the government engaged in an enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A series of economic liberalization measures was introduced by finance minister Saifur Rahman, including opening up sectors like telecom to foreign investment. The Chittagong Stock Exchange was also set up. The 1990s was a boon for the private sector. Banking, telecommunications, aviation and tertiary education saw new private players and increased competition. The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh grew to meet 98% of domestic demand. The ceramics industry in Bangladesh developed to meet local demand for 96% of tableware ceramics, 77% of tiles and 89% of sanitary ceramics. The Chittagong-based steel industry in Bangladesh exploited scrap steel from ship-breaking yards and started contributing to shipbuilding in Bangladesh.

But the government failed to sustain reforms in large part because of preoccupation with the government's domestic political troubles, including tensions between the Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jatiya Party. Frequent hartals and strikes disrupted the economy. In the late 1990s the government's economic policies became more entrenched, and some gains were lost, which was highlighted by a precipitous drop in foreign direct investment in 2000 and 2001. Many new private commercial banks were given licenses to operate.

Between 2001 and 2006, annual GDP growth touched an average of 5-6%. In June 2003 the IMF approved 3-year, $490-million plan as part of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for Bangladesh that aimed to support the government's economic reform programme up to 2006. Seventy million dollars was made available immediately. In the same vein the World Bank approved $536 million in interest-free loans. The economy saw continuous real GDP growth of at least 6% since 2009. Bangladesh emerged as one of the fastest growing economies.

According to economist Syed Akhtar Mahmood, the Bangladeshi government is often seen as the villain in the country's economic story. But government has played an important role in stimulating the economy through building infrastructure, liberalizing regulations, and promoting high yielding crops in agriculture. According to Mahmood, "[m]ost roads linking the villages with one another, and with the cities, were not paved and not accessible throughout the year. This situation was remarkably transformed within a span of 10 years, from 1988 to 1997, with the construction of the so-called feeder roads. In 1988, Bangladesh had about 3,000 kilometers of feeder roads. By 1997, this network expanded to 15,500 kilometers. These "last-mile" all-weather roads helped connect the villages of Bangladesh to the rest of the country".

As a result of export-led growth, Bangladesh has enjoyed a trade surplus in recent years. Bangladesh historically has run a large trade deficit, financed largely through aid receipts and remittances from workers overseas. Foreign reserves dropped markedly in 2001 but stabilised in the US$3 to US$4 billion range (or about 3 months' import cover). In January 2007, reserves stood at $3.74 billion, and then increased to $5.8 billion by January 2008, in November 2009 it surpassed $10.0 billion, and as of April 2011 it surpassed the US$12 billion according to the Bank of Bangladesh, the central bank. The dependence on foreign aid and imports has also decreased gradually since the early 1990s. Foreign aid now accounts for only 2% of GDP.

In the last decade, poverty dropped by around one third with significant improvements in the human development index, literacy, life expectancy and per capita food consumption. With the economy growing annually at an average rate of 6% over a prolonged period, more than 15 million people have moved out of poverty since 1992. The poverty rate went down from 80% in 1971 to 44.2% in 1991 to 12.9% in 2021. In recent years, Bangladesh has focused on promoting regional trade and transport links. The Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement seeks to create hassle free road transport across international borders. Bangladesh also signed a coastal shipping agreement with India. While prioritizing food security in the domestic market, Bangladesh exports more than US$1 billion worth of processed food products. As the result of a robust agricultural supply chain, supermarkets have sprung up in cities and towns across the country.

Bangladesh became the second largest textile exporter in the world. An estimated 4.4 million workers are employed in the garments industry, with the majority being women. The sector contributes 11% of Bangladesh's GDP. The 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse caused global concern on industrial safety in Bangladesh, leading to the formation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. The local clothing industry has seen fiercely competitive brands vying for the market, including Aarong, Westecs, Ecstasy, and Yellow among many others.

The World Bank notes the economic progress of the country by stating that "[w]hen the newly independent country of Bangladesh was born on December 16, 1971, it was the second poorest country in the world—making the country's transformation over the next 50 years one of the great development stories. Since then, poverty has been cut in half at record speed. Enrolment in primary school is now nearly universal. Hundreds of thousands of women have entered the workforce. Steady progress has been made on maternal and child health. And the country is better buttressed against the destructive forces posed by climate change and natural disasters. Bangladesh's success comprises many moving parts—from investing in human capital to establishing macroeconomic stability. Building on this success, the country is now setting the stage for further economic growth and job creation by ramping up investments in energy, inland connectivity, urban projects, and transport infrastructure, as well as prioritizing climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness on its path toward sustainable growth".

As of 2022, Bangladesh had the second largest foreign-exchange reserves in South Asia. In 2021, Bangladesh surpassed both India and Pakistan in terms of per capita income. The country achieved 100% electricity coverage for households in 2022. Megaprojects like the Padma Bridge, Dhaka Metro, Matarbari Port, and Karnaphuli Tunnel have been planned to stimulate economic activity. The completion of Padma Bridge was expected to boost Bangladeshi GDP by 1.23%.

Economic depression (2022–present)

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bangladesh experienced pressure on its foreign exchange reserves due to rising import costs; this affected the country's electricity sector which relies on imported fuel; rising import prices also contributed to inflation. IMF had forecasted Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Bangladesh to rise to 5.9% by the year 2022. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, general inflation climbed to 6.17% by February 2022.

Due to the mass uprising of July–August 2024, Bangladeshi economy witnessed a huge loss, suffering losses of over $1.2 billion as a result of the nationwide curfew and protests. It also resulted in a sudden sharp rise in inflation in July 2024; after momentary stabilization, inflation once again begun to increase. By September 2025, The general inflation rate in Bangladesh reached 10.87%, up from 9.92%. By 2026, Bangladeshi taka lost 43% of its value against the US dollar since 2021. Bangladesh had the highest consumer price in South Asia this year per Asian Development Bank's projection.

In November 2024, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said "early signs suggest that policymakers can avoid a Sri Lanka-style economic crash" and added exchange rate reforms helped improve foreign reserves while inflation had declined from its peak, although it warned that "serious economic risks remain". The crisis group also said that long-term economic reform was "far longer" than the interim government's "likely lifespan", stating that the government was focused on "short-term macro-economic priorities" such as inflation, foreign reserves and economic stability.

In April 2025, the Trump administration imposed 37% "reciprocal" tariffs on Bangladesh, which is second highest in South Asia just after Sri Lanka (44%). New York Times described it a major blow particularly for the garments industry of Bangladesh. France24 reported that many US buyers started to halt orders in Bangladesh saying that it was too costly to bear the import tariffs for them. It was later lowered to 20% on 1 August.

Macro-economic trend

This chart shows how Bangladesh's economy has grown over time, measured by the value of all goods and services produced. The numbers come from the International Monetary Fund and are in Bangladeshi Taka, a type of money used in Bangladesh. It only includes the official part of the economy.

In 2009, workers in Bangladesh earned about $0.58 for each hour they worked.

GDP per capita (nominal)

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

GDP per capita (PPP)

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The table below shows important economic numbers from 1980 to 2021, with some predictions up to 2027. When inflation (how much prices go up) is below 5%, it is shown in green. The unemployment rate comes from the World Bank, but the International Monetary Fund thinks these numbers might not be very reliable.

Economic sectors

Bangladesh's economy has many parts, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics sorts them into 19 groups. These groups help us understand how the country makes and spends money.

Agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry and forestry

Main articles: Agriculture in Bangladesh, Fishing industry in Bangladesh, and Forestry in Bangladesh

See also: Poultry farming in Bangladesh, Rice production in Bangladesh, Tea production in Bangladesh, and Jute industry in Bangladesh

Manufacturing and industry

"Made in Bangladesh" redirects here. For other uses, see Made in Bangladesh (disambiguation).

See also: List of manufacturing companies of Bangladesh

Many new jobs, especially for women, have been created by the country's strong ready-made garment industry. This industry grew very fast in the 1990s. By the late 1990s, about 1.5 million people, mostly women, worked in garment factories. In 2001–2002, garments made up 52% of all things Bangladesh sold to other countries. Bangladesh began selling more clothes than India in 2009. By 2014, clothes made up $3.12 billion each month of what Bangladesh sold.

Before British rule, East Bengal was famous for its fine fabrics. But machines from England changed this, and many people who made clothes had to find other work. Only small parts of this old industry remain.

Other industries that are growing fast include medicines, ships, computers, leather, steel, and small machines.

Pharmaceutical

Main article: Pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh

See also: List of pharmaceutical companies of Bangladesh

Bangladesh makes almost all the medicines its people need. There are 213 companies making medicines, and they grow by 12% each year. Some of these companies sell medicine to 150 countries.

Textile and leather

Main articles: Bangladesh textile industry and Leather industry in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's textile industry, which makes clothes and special fabrics, is the biggest thing the country sells. In 2013, it made $21.5 billion, which was 80% of all things Bangladesh sold.

Bangladesh is second in the world for selling textiles, after China. The industry employs nearly 3.5 million workers. Wages were very low in 2010, but many people still worked there. The industry has created over one million jobs for women, helping them earn their own money. Even though conditions are not perfect, these jobs help women support their families and have more choices in life.

Ceramics

Main article: Ceramics industry in Bangladesh

Mining

See also: Coal mining in Bangladesh and Petrobangla

Oil and gas

See also: List of oil and gas companies of Bangladesh, List of natural gas fields in Bangladesh, and Eastern Refinery Limited

Food

Main article: Food industry in Bangladesh

Automotive

Main article: Automotive industry in Bangladesh

Defence

Main article: Defence industry of Bangladesh

Electronics

Main article: Electronics industry in Bangladesh

Steel

Main article: Steel industry in Bangladesh

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Main article: Shipbuilding in Bangladesh

Shipbuilding is growing in Bangladesh and could become very important. Bangladesh also has the world's largest ship breaking industry, which employs over 200,000 people and provides half of all the steel in Bangladesh. Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard is the world's second-largest ship breaking area.

Energy

Main article: Energy in Bangladesh

See also: Renewable energy in Bangladesh and Energy policy of Bangladesh

Water supply and sanitation

Main article: Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh

Services

Finance and banking

Main article: Banking in Bangladesh

See also: List of banks in Bangladesh, Islamic banking, Accounting in Bangladesh, and List of insurance companies in Bangladesh

Most banks in Bangladesh are owned by private people. Until the 1980s, the government's banks were most important. Then private banks started. From 2000 to 2006, more changes happened to make banking better.

Education

Main article: Education in Bangladesh

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in Bangladesh

Information and communication technology

Main article: Information technology in Bangladesh

See also: Call centre industry in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's computer and technology work has grown a lot in the last few years. By June 2017, Bangladesh sold $800 million worth of computer programs, games, and help to countries like Europe, the United States, Canada, Russia, and India.

Telecommunications

Main articles: Telecommunications in Bangladesh and Internet in Bangladesh

See also: List of telecommunications companies of Bangladesh and List of media companies of Bangladesh

Real estate and housing

Main articles: Real estate in Bangladesh, Squatting in Bangladesh, and Ministry of Housing and Public Works

See also: List of real estate companies of Bangladesh

Retail

See also: List of shopping malls in Bangladesh, Growth centre, E-commerce in Bangladesh, Category:Retail markets in Bangladesh, and Category:Bangladeshi brands

Transport

Main article: Transport in Bangladesh

See also: List of roads in Bangladesh, List of airports in Bangladesh, List of airlines of Bangladesh, List of railway lines in Bangladesh, and List of ports in Bangladesh

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Bangladesh

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said in 2013 that travel and tourism created 1,281,500 jobs in Bangladesh, which was 1.8% of all jobs. By 2023, they think it could create 3,891,000 jobs, or 4.2% of all jobs. In 2014, only 125,000 tourists visited Bangladesh, which is very few compared to the country's big population.

Investment

See also: Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority

Bangladesh's stock market grew very fast between 2007 and 2010. In November 2007, the value of all stocks sold reached over $10 billion, then $30 billion in 2009, and $50 billion in August 2010. This growth happened even when many other countries had trouble with their economies.

Many people and companies are investing in Bangladesh. For example, Saudi Arabia wants to invest in oil, gas, power, and transportation. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is interested in shipbuilding. An Indian company plans to build a car factory, and Samsung wants to create an electronics center. The World Bank is helping improve rural roads, and Japan thinks Bangladesh is a good place to invest.

Bangladesh has worked hard to stop children from working in factories. In 1995, groups joined together to end child labour in garment factories, and by 1999, it had almost completely stopped. The country also makes things like sugar, tea, leather goods, newsprint, medicines, and fertilizer.

Bangladesh encourages foreign companies to invest. It has special areas called export processing zones where companies can make and sell goods with fewer rules. These zones are in places like Chittagong, Comilla, Dhaka, Mongla, and Uttara, with plans for more. The government wants to make it easier for foreign businesses to start working there.

International trade

The COVID-19 pandemic affected Bangladesh's economy, especially lowering exports and imports in the year 2019-20.

In 2015, Bangladesh's main exports included clothes like suits and sweaters, and its main imports included materials like cotton and fuel. The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom were important places where Bangladesh sold its products, while China and India were key places from which Bangladesh bought goods.

See also: List of exports of Bangladesh and List of the largest trading partners of Bangladesh

Remittances

People living in Bangladesh who work in other countries send money back home to their families. This money, called remittances, is very important for the country. It helps families pay for food, education, and other needs, and it also supports the overall economy of Bangladesh.

Poverty

Bangladesh has made big steps in fighting poverty. Many people used to live with very little money, but now more families have enough to meet their basic needs. The government and other groups work together to help people find jobs, get education, and improve their lives. This progress shows that with support, communities can grow stronger and healthier.

Bangladeshi women and the economy

Main article: Women in Bangladesh

In 2014, about 58 percent of women in Bangladesh were working, compared to 82 percent of men. Efforts by the government and groups like CARE International have helped women take on more roles in politics and jobs.

Women in Bangladesh often work in farming, teaching, and healthcare. Many work in jobs that don’t pay well and don’t give the same benefits as men’s jobs. Some groups work to help women save money and make more decisions in their families and communities.

Historical statistics

Bangladesh has grown a lot since it became independent in 1971. Even though there are still challenges, like not enough power and slow changes to help the economy, the country has made progress. It has worked to make things better for foreign investors and has improved its markets.

Big floods in 1998 brought more help from other countries. The financial crisis in 2008 did not hurt Bangladesh much. The economy has grown because of more things being sold to other countries and money sent home by people working abroad. Experts think the economy will keep growing.

Bangladesh has been a country that needs a lot of help from the United Nations since 1975. In 2018, it was ready to be called a developing country. By 2030, its economy is expected to get even bigger.

Gross export and import