Bangladesh Cannot Compete Globally With Structural Problems At Home – OpEd |
Over the last thirty years, Bangladesh’s economy has advanced remarkably. The nation’s economy, which was primarily agriculture-based in the 1990s, is now among the fastest-growing manufacturing centers in the world. Beneath success, however, is a more serious issue. Bangladesh’s capacity to successfully compete in international markets is being hampered by structural flaws at home. Unless these bottlenecks are addressed urgently, the country risks losing momentum at a time when global competition is intensifying.
For a nation, preparing to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in November 2026, Bangladesh’s economy is faltering. According to recent data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), exports decreased for seven months in a row, with revenues in February 2026 falling by 12.03 percent year over year to just $3.49 billion. This downturn is more than just a cyclical downturn. According to the 2026 Asia Manufacturing Index (AMI), Bangladesh is the least competitive manufacturing destination in Asia because of long-standing structural issues. While competitors race ahead, Bangladesh remains trapped by an over-reliance on garments, a fragile banking sector, and infrastructure that fails to support modern industry.
Structural Bottlenecks at Home
Bangladesh’s internal structural flaws are its foremost barrier. Economists frequently highlight that logistics, export diversification, trouble in the macroeconomic context, regulatory efficiency, and technological upgrading are the major issues with a fragile banking sector, which indicates that an economy cannot build sustainable growth on a mountain of bad debt.
Global competitiveness depends on effective logistics. However, clogged ports, lengthy customs procedures, and inadequate transportation infrastructure continue to pose challenges for Bangladesh’s export industry. The strain on current logistics infrastructure is evidenced by the fact that the Dhaka airport cargo complex alone handles over 600 metric tons of export cargo per day. The nation’s competitiveness in rapidly evolving global supply chains can be weakened by any disturbance, such as industrial accidents or........