BGMEA and World Bank Discuss Digitalization of Bangladesh Port and Maritime Trade Logistics

A bilateral meeting between the leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and representatives of the World Bank Mission was held on June 29, 2026 at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka. The key agenda of the meeting was the digitalization of Bangladesh's port and maritime trade logistics — a critical bottleneck for the country's export competitiveness.

BGMEA Delegation

The meeting was attended by senior BGMEA leaders with direct oversight of trade-facilitation matters:

• Senior Vice President Inamul Haq Khan
• Director Faisal Samad
• Mahbub Chowdhury, Advisor for Customs, Port & Shipping
• Hasan Abdullah, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Customs, Port & Shipping

World Bank Mission Delegation

Representing the World Bank Mission and invited experts were:

• Satya Prasad Sahu, Senior Trade Facilitation Specialist, World Bank
• Nusrat Nahid Babi, Senior Transport & Trade Logistics Specialist, World Bank
• Pascal Olivier, President of Maritime Street
• Ahmedul Karim Chowdhury, Port, Shipping & Logistics Strategist and Advisor

Agenda and Discussion

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on three priority areas:

1. Enhancing the capacity of Bangladesh's seaports — Chattogram (Chittagong) and Mongla — to handle growing export volumes
2. Digitalizing customs and clearance processes to reduce documentation time and eliminate manual bottlenecks
3. Modernizing the broader logistics sector to accelerate export and trade processes for the RMG sector

BGMEA leaders highlighted the existing challenges in the logistics sector to the World Bank representatives and discussed how lead time could be reduced through an integrated digital system that connects port operations, customs clearance, and inland transport. Bangladesh's RMG sector currently faces a 35-45 day lead time from order to delivery — significantly longer than competitors such as Vietnam (25-30 days) — and logistics digitalization is viewed as a key lever for closing this gap.

World Bank Commitment

The World Bank Mission representatives expressed their commitment to continuing technical and strategic support for modernizing logistics and supply chain processes in Bangladesh's apparel sector. The World Bank has been a long-standing development partner for Bangladesh's trade-facilitation agenda, with active programs supporting the National Single Window, customs modernization, and port-efficiency initiatives.

Strategic Context

The meeting comes at a critical time for Bangladesh's export economy. As the country prepares for LDC graduation and faces intensifying competition from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other regional apparel exporters, reducing logistics costs and lead times has become a strategic priority. The World Bank's continued engagement signals international confidence in Bangladesh's reform agenda and provides access to global best practices in port and logistics modernization.