Bangladesh-made medicines are now exported to 162 countries, while pharmaceutical export earnings have nearly doubled over the past five years, according to the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA). Local manufacturers meet around 98 per cent of domestic medicine demand, and industry entrepreneurs expect exports to reach $1 billion by 2030.
Bangladeshi pharmaceutical manufacturers exported medicines worth Tk 1,773.96 crore in the 2021-22 fiscal year. Export earnings increased significantly each year thereafter, reaching Tk 3,250.17 crore in the 2025-26 fiscal year, DGDA data showed.
Industry stakeholders said the expanding presence of Bangladeshi medicines in international markets represents an important achievement. Increased production capacity, greater product diversity and access to new markets could further expand exports, they said.
The DGDA has registered 323 units for the production of allopathic medicines in Bangladesh, of which 251 are operational. More than 500 additional units manufacture Unani, Ayurvedic, homeopathic and other types of medicines.
Square Pharmaceuticals topped allopathic medicine export earnings in the 2025-26 fiscal year, exporting products worth Tk 403.76 crore. Acme Laboratories ranked second with exports worth Tk 401.85 crore.
Nipro JMI recorded export earnings of Tk 372 crore, followed by Incepta Pharmaceuticals with Tk 317.67 crore and Renata with Tk 257.53 crore.
Aristopharma, SK+F Pharmaceuticals, Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and General Pharmaceuticals were the next five leading exporters.
Industry representatives said demand for Bangladeshi medicines and the number of export destinations have been increasing. Bangladeshi products are being exported to tightly regulated markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Australia.
Sustaining this progress will require a broader product range, greater investment in research and innovation, and increased capacity to manufacture complex and high-value medicines, stakeholders said. Reducing dependence on imported raw materials, establishing internationally recognised laboratories, and addressing the costs and complexities of overseas medicine registration were also identified as priorities.
Pharmaceutical technology experts and health economists said Bangladesh has successfully produced generic versions of patented medicines abroad by using special intellectual property-related provisions under the World Trade Organization.
Long-term competitiveness, however, will require reduced dependence on those facilities and greater domestic capacity in technology, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production and innovation, they said.
A study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue identified import dependence for raw materials and limited investment in research and development as major weaknesses in the sector. Bangladesh also faces the risk of losing intellectual property-related special facilities after graduating from the list of least developed countries.
Professor Dr Syed Sabbir Haider of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Dhaka told Ajker Patrika, “To increase medicine exports, market-based research and product development are needed alongside internationally recognised laboratories. At present, domestic companies have to depend on foreign countries for bioequivalence testing. Establishing laboratories in the country that meet international standards would reduce costs and increase export capacity.”
Professor Haider also stressed the need to ensure the effective use of export incentives.
Pharmaceutical entrepreneurs said increased international competition makes investment in medicine quality, research, product development and manufacturing technology essential. New product innovation and market expansion could increase export earnings, they said.
PIC/S and ROW are two important terms in discussions on international pharmaceutical markets. PIC/S is a cooperation arrangement among regulatory authorities in different countries on medicine manufacturing standards and factory inspections. Participating agencies include the US Food and Drug Administration, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority.
ROW refers to markets outside specified major markets and may include markets in countries across Asia and Africa.
Entrepreneurs said experience in entering European markets could help Bangladeshi companies access markets such as Singapore, Australia and South Africa, as some standards are similar. Entry requirements for the US market are comparatively more stringent, while major markets such as Brazil in South America also offer export opportunities.
A large share of Bangladesh’s medicine exports currently goes to ROW markets outside the main markets. Some Bangladeshi medicines have entered European and Australian markets in recent years.
Increasing exports to those markets will require compliance with international standards, completion of registration procedures and fulfilment of requirements set by the relevant national regulatory authorities.
Muhammad Halimuzzaman, secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and deputy managing director of Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, said, “Export earnings must be higher than the money spent on importing raw materials. We want Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry to create a market in the world that is bigger than the ready-made garment industry. Company and medicine registration in different countries requires substantial amounts of money. There are regular fees and audit costs depending on the product. The government can provide subsidies in these areas. Loans for product development can also be provided on easy terms.”
Abdul Muktadir, president of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and chairman of Incepta Pharmaceuticals, said, “The foundation for establishing a position in the global market has been created. This market will grow further if export barriers can be removed. Government policy support is needed for this.”
Abdul Muktadir also emphasised ensuring a “reasonable balance” between production costs and selling prices to strengthen manufacturers’ capabilities, alongside removing policy barriers.
DGDA Director General Alamgir Hossain said compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities in importing countries was important, in addition to ensuring manufacturing quality.
Alamgir Hossain said, “We are trying to complete necessary regulatory processes, including registration and approval, quickly to increase medicine exports.”
The DGDA is also working to achieve the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 (ML3) status to expand opportunities for vaccine exports, he said.
Achieving the recognition requires demonstrating the capacity of the national medicines regulatory system in areas including vaccine approval, factory inspections, quality verification and post-marketing safety monitoring.
Alamgir Hossain said, “Achieving ML3 can help increase international confidence and expand opportunities for vaccine exports. We are working to ensure medicine manufacturing quality in line with World Health Organization standards.”
Bangladesh began exporting medicines in 1985. The country’s domestic pharmaceutical market is currently worth around Tk 37,000 crore.
Locally manufactured medicines meet nearly all domestic demand, but around 85 per cent of raw materials still need to be imported. Gonoshasthaya Pharmaceuticals began producing raw materials domestically in 1988.
Domestic raw material production has made some progress since then, but import dependence remains. An initiative to establish an industrial park for raw materials has not yet become operational at the expected level, making increased local raw material production capacity a major challenge alongside expanding medicine exports.