TBT DESK: In a powerful stride toward health independence and economic resilience, Bangladesh is taking bold steps to manufacture its own Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and excipients—the key building blocks of modern medicine. Despite exporting medicines to 157 countries, nearly 95% of the ingredients used to produce these drugs are still imported.
This heavy reliance on foreign sources costs Bangladesh over $1 billion annually, and exposes the pharmaceutical sector to global supply chain risks—as sharply revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience has triggered a strategic rethink among industry leaders and policymakers.
“We’ve seen how a disrupted global supply can paralyze our medicine industry,” said Sakif Shamim, Managing Director of Labaid Cancer Hospital & Super Speciality Centre and Deputy Managing Director of Labaid Group. “Making our own APIs and excipients isn’t just a dream anymore—it’s a national necessity.”
The global API market is valued at over $200 billion, with excipients adding another $8 billion. Bangladesh’s entry into this sector presents a significant economic opportunity—not only to save foreign exchange but also to generate new export revenues and reduce dependency on the RMG sector.
The government has already laid the foundation by initiating the development of API industrial parks. These are expected to attract both local and foreign investors. However, experts say that broader policy support will be key to success.
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The transition will require massive investments in modern laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and skill development. Universities must ramp up programs in pharmaceutical chemistry, chemical engineering, and biotechnology. Above all, maintaining international quality standards such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) is non-negotiable.
“This isn’t just an industrial project,” Shamim noted. “It’s about building a knowledge-driven economy. Our young people have the talent—we just need the right platform and support.”
If successful, Bangladesh could soon be known not only as a medicine exporter, but also as a producer of the very raw materials that power global pharmaceutical supply chains. This shift promises to strengthen national healthcare security while opening a new frontier of industrial growth.
With unity across government, business, academia, and the public, Bangladesh is on track to become self-sufficient in medicine manufacturing—securing both lives and livelihoods.
